He thought it was just going to be another mundane night of resting and hanging out with his family at home, but little did Zainol Hamid know that the Almighty had other plans for him.
It was around 10.30pm, and the 71-year-old was watching television with his children and grandchildren at his home in Kampung Ulu Dulang Kechil here.
He went to use the bathroom for a little while, but when he came out, an unusual sound made him stop dead in his tracks.
It was as though there was a baby crying from somewhere at the back of his house.
“It was unusual because I didn’t have any babies in the house. My youngest grandchild was seven years old.
“The sound seemed like it was coming from the kitchen, so I went to check but there was nothing there.
“Then I went to the back of my house but no one was there either,” he said.
However, Zainol said when he stepped back into the house, the crying became louder and it was only then he realised that the sound was coming from inside his washing machine.
He peered into the machine and was shocked to see a baby girl crying her lungs out.
Most dishearteningly, the day-old infant was chilled to the bone, without a single piece of clothing on her.
“There was no blood but the baby’s umbilical cord was still intact,” Zainol told Astro AWANI today.
He said he immediately alerted a relative who lived nearby and together they reported the matter to the police.
Meanwhile, Yan district police chief, DSP Muhamad Halim Yatim when contacted said, his officers were alerted at 10.44pm before rushing to the scene.
Upon arriving, they found the fully-formed baby girl to be in good health, as verified by medical assistants from Yan Hospital who had also arrived to conduct checks on the baby.
The baby was handed to the police before the medical assistants took the baby to the hospital for treatment.
Initial investigations revealed, the suspect had sneaked into Zainol’s house through the back door, which was unlocked, before dumping the baby in the washing machine, said Muhamad Halim.
He said police are trying to trace the suspect and asked any hospital or clinic to immediately alert them if there were any suspicious individuals seeking treatment at their premises.
The case is being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code for baby dumping.
READ: Baby in washing machine is villager's own granddaughter!
Adie Sufian Zulkefli
Wed Oct 28 2015
Zainol pointing to where he found the day-old baby girl. - Astro AWANI
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