A MURDER investigation has been launched following the discovery of a woman's body in a house in Dublin early yesterday.
The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, gave the results of the postmortem on Ms Mandy Wong (28) early this morning, which showed she was strangled.
She was five months pregnant.
A Garda spokesman made a public appeal for information on, any suspicious activity noticed around the house on Bunting Road, Walkinstown, between 9 a.m. on Tuesday and 2 a.m. yesterday.
The murder investigation is being led by Supt John McLoughlin of Crumlin Garda Station.
A special incident room has been set up at the station. Gardai found no signs of a break in, at the rented semidetached premises on Bunting Road.
Ms Wong was believed to have been preparing to wash her hair some time on Tuesday night when she was killed.
A towel was still around her shoulders and an open bottle of shampoo was beside her in the bath.
Gardai found her body face downwards in the bath. There was a small amount of blood but there was no immediate evidence that had been murdered. There was no sign of a sexual assault.
Ms Wong was fully dressed when she died.
Gardai were called when one of the other residents in the house returned from work in a Chinese food take away about 1.30 a.m. yesterday.
Ms Wong's body was examined in situ by the State pathologist, Dr John Harbison, just before lunchtime yesterday.
It is understood Ms Wong came 19 Ireland two years ago and had lived for most of that time in the house at Bunting Road which she and her boyfriend, who is also Malaysian, shared with other men and women working in restaurants and take away food outlets in Tallaght and Walkinstown.
She held a Malaysian passport - and is believed to have had a valid Irish work visa.
Until recently she had worked at a take away in Tallaght but she had handed in her notice on Sunday.
It is not clear if she intended to take some rest time or if she had decided to return to Malaysia to have her child.
Neighbours said yesterday the house has been occupied for two or three years by a succession of Asian men and women, all believed to be casual workers in take away outlets.
None of the occupants appeared to have had any significant contact with neighbours.
Bunting Road is a quiet street which runs westwards towards the Ballyfermot roundabout.
People living near the house said the mainly young Asian people who shared the house kept very late hours because of their work but they were quiet and polite.
Living conditions in the house appeared basic. From outside there appeared to be little furniture and at the rear, the garden was overgrown with weeds and grass.
A window had fallen out of a conservatory, probably built in the 1970s, and now in poor condition.
The back bedroom window has a black PVC bin liner taped to it in place of curtains.