Baby in washing machine is villager's own granddaughter

Police have detained a woman whom they believe is the mother to the baby girl dumped in a washing machine of a villager’s home in Yan, Kedah.

Yesterday, it was reported that Zainol Hamid, 71, discovered the baby in his washing machine in his home in Kampung Ulu Dulang Kechil late Tuesday night.

Now, in a strange turn of events, it turns out that the baby is actually his own grandchild!

According to Yan district police, they believed the baby's mother is Zainol’s 38-year-old daughter-in-law who lives in the same house with him, along with his son and the couple's other children.

The woman was detained at the house at noon today by a team of police officers from the Yan district police headquarters, said Yan district police chief DSP Muhamad Halim Yatim.

“After being interrogated, the suspect finally admitted that she had given birth to the baby in the bathroom of her own home on Tuesday night, but without the knowledge of her husband and father-in-law.

“The suspect also claimed that her husband is the baby’s father, however, we are probing if this is true, if it’s possible that the baby was born out of wedlock, causing the suspect to dump the baby,” said Muhamad Halim.

He said the suspect also admitted that she had been pregnant with the baby without anybody’s knowledge.

When asked why the suspect chose to dump the baby in her own home, Muhamad Halim only replied that investigations were still ongoing.

He added that police have also found the placenta that had been disposed by the suspect, in the toilet pit of the bathroom where she gave birth.

Meanwhile, the baby is now at the ward of the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here, reportedly in healthy condition. Her weight is 2.86kg.

As for the suspect, she is being detained at Yan Hospital for DNA processing.

The case is being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code for baby dumping.