Datuk Norjan Khan Found Dead In Hotel Room

Sabah Assistant Minister of Rural and Entrepreneurial Development Datuk Norjan Khan Bahadar was found dead in a hotel room at Bandaran Berjaya, Kota Kinabalu, on 11 February 2004.

Kota Kinabalu City Police Chief ACP Hamdan Mohamad said Norjan, 52, a nominated assemblywoman and Papar Wanita Umno Chief, was found lying fully clad on the floor by her bedside at the hotel room at about 9am.

He said there were injuries on Norjan's neck and face but police were still investigating whether the injuries had caused her death.

"We saw small stab wounds but are not certain how many stabs," he told reporters at the scene this afternoon.

He said police had ruled out robbery as there were no sign of her valuables missing and her hand bag was still intact.

He said investigations showed that there was no forced entry into the hotel room which is on the second floor of the hotel.

Hamdan said her body had been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here for a post-mortem.

"We are waiting for the post-mortem to determine the cause of her death," he said.

Initial investigations also revealed that there were bloodstains on her bed as well as on her face but the overall condition of the room, which was registered under her name, was tidy.

There were also no reports of a commotion or shouting prior to the recovery of the body, he said.

To another question on the scope of the police investigation, he said that it would cover all aspects including jealousy as the motive.

Norjan checked in at the hotel at about 7.30pm Tuesday along with a woman-aide who took a room next door.

The aide phoned Norjan at about 9am Wednesday but the call went unanswered.

The hotel management was informed of the unanswered call and upon checking, they found Norjan's body lying on the floor.

The management then called the police.

Norjan, who had been active in politics since the time of Usno (United Sabah National Organisation) leaves a husband Nazri Jaafar, three sons and a daughter aged between 27 and 33.

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Daily Express
12 February, 2004

Norjan found murdered
Kota Kinabalu: Rural and Entrepreneurial Development Assistant Minister Datuk Norjan Khan Bahadar was found dead with multiple stab wounds inside a hotel room in Bandaran Berjaya, here, Wednesday.

Norjan, 52, was found on the floor by the blood-stained bed at about 9am, when the hotel management opened her room following a request by her aides.

Police arrested a 27-year-old male suspect in the vicinity of Bandaran Berjaya, at 1pm the same day, to facilitate investigations. They ruled out robbery as the motive because Norjan’s handbag was still intact when found inside the room which was described as “tidy”.

They said there was also no sign of struggle nor forced entry and that no weapon was found inside the room. Norjan, who is a Nominated Assemblyman and an Umno Wanita Executive Committee member, had checked in, together with two aides, Rosmah Mohamad, 45, and Rosdah Yahya, 53, at about 7.30pm on Tuesday evening.

Rosmah and Rosdah, both staying in a separate room just three doors away, told police they had been trying to reach Norjan since 7am, but to no avail. They then decided to alert the hotel management.

Cabinet ministers and Sabah Umno leaders rushed to the hotel to check the authenticity of the shocking news.

Among them were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Lajim Ukin, Rural Development and Entrepreneurial Minister Datuk Nasir Sakaran, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail, Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Dr Patawari Patawe and Sabah Umno Wanita chief Senator Datuk Dayang Mahani Tun Raffae.

Norjan’s body was brought down from the second floor room at 12.30pm by police. Lajim and Nasir were among those carrying the stretcher bearing a body bag through the back staircase to a waiting police jeep.

The body was brought to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a post mortem.

City Police Chief ACP Hamdan Mohammad, when met at the scene, said a team of police rushed to scene after being alerted at about 9am and immediately cordoned off the crime scene.

He said initial investigations showed visible injuries to her face and neck but police could not immediately ascertain whether these caused death. He also denied reports that she was found in her undergarments.

According to him, small stab wounds were visible on Norjan’s face and the left side of her neck.

Asked on the estimated time of death, Hamdan said this could only be ascertained after the post mortem. He denied claims that guests in other rooms had heard a commotion or shouting prior to the incident.

Hamdan said police would not leave any stone unturned in their investigations, which would be done from all angles.

Norjan was the Papar Umno division Wanita chief and she had been active in politics since United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) time under Tun Mustapha.

She was also the first Sabah Umno Wanita chief when Umno spread its wings to Sabah in 1991, which saw Usno being usurped into Umno. She is survived by her second husband Nazri Jaafar, 45, three sons and a daughter.

All her children - Mohd Fadzir, 33, Fauziah Noor, 32, Mohd Amrizan, 27 and Abdul Aliff, 30 - were from her previous marriage to the late Mohd Ali Tassan.

Norjan will be buried at the Kampung Pengalat Besar Muslim cemetery in Papar and those wishing to pay their last respect could do so from 9am to 11am, at her Papar residence, today (Thursday).