CHUKAI, Oct 25 — A Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) staff member died after being stung by a swarm of bees while collecting honey at the agency’s farm in Ayer Putih near here yesterday.

Kemaman police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said the incident occurred at 9.50am when the victim, Hafizul Mat, 40, a general worker, was at MARDI’s Kemaman branch at Kilometer 18 of Jalan Ayer Putih with a colleague.

“The victim’s 44-year-old colleague had advised him against collecting the honey because the beehive was on a dry tree about three metres tall, but the victim insisted on proceeding.

“The victim asked his colleague to wait about 50 metres from the beehive before climbing the tree to collect the honey, but he was attacked by a swarm of bees,” he said in a statement today.