Malaysian boy’s drowning death sparks murder investigation amid parental abuse allegations
- The seven-year-old boy, known affectionately as Adik, died on Friday. His biological mother and stepfather have been detained
- On Facebook, a woman identified as 50-year-old Norlida Abu Hassan said she had fostered the boy for most of his life, only giving him up in October
The 32-year-old mother and 38-year-old stepfather, who live in Taman Krubong Jaya, have been detained and remanded for seven days to assist with police inquiries, Melaka Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commander Mohd Sukri Kaman told local media on Friday.
Bruises and other injuries were found on “several parts” of the boy’s body, which had been taken to hospital for a post mortem to be carried out, the officer added.
I should have defended Adik, I thought his mother couldn’t bear to be away from her son anymore, so I let him return to her
In a Facebook post, a woman claiming to have fostered the boy since he was two months old said he had only moved back in with his biological mother in October last year, to help the 32-year-old out as she faced financial difficulties while trying to pursue a higher education.
The woman, who was identified by Malaysian national news agency Bernama as 50-year-old Norlida Abu Hassan, said she was heartbroken by the death of the boy, affectionately known as Adik.
“I should have defended Adik, I thought his mother couldn’t bear to be away from her son anymore, so I let him return to her,” she was cited as saying by the Malay Mail newspaper. “I never thought that the child, who I treated like my own, [would] disappear in the blink of an eye in such a terrible way.”
Norlida said over the six years she had cared for Adik, his biological mother – a college friend of her daughter’s – had visited only a handful of times, but expressed a desire to take him back when it was time for him to start his primary school education.
But after she handed the boy over, Norlida said his biological mother cut off all contact, even going so far as to block her mobile phone number.
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“We met him secretly once at a restaurant in Rawang. Adik was brought by his stepfather to meet us, and Adik said he missed [me],” she was cited as saying. “This loss is not ours only as it is being felt by many because of his friendly, cheerful and easy-going character.”
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They urged the government to make better use of a national hotline that has been set up to receive reports of domestic abuse; called for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to employ more child protection officers and increase training for those already employed; and said parenting should be made a compulsory topic in the government’s pre-marriage courses.
“This is to prevent parents from neglecting their responsibilities,” they were cited as saying by online news portal Free Malaysia Today.
