Mother's weeping farewell for four-year-old son who died after abuse

JOHOR BAHRU: The mother of a four-year-old boy, who died from suspected abuse while she was behind bars, was seen weeping at the haunting sight of her son's lifeless body for the last time.

The woman, who is serving a jail sentence, was seen at the Sultan Ismail Hospital's (HSI) Forensics Medicine Department at 2.15 pm. She was handcuffed in purple prison garb and flanked by two prison officers.

Now serving a jail sentence for drug offences, she is understood to be at Simpang Renggam Prison in Kluang, and was seen crying as she left the forensics room after five minutes before heading to a prison van.

Both the child's parents were jailed for drug offences, and the father is understood to be serving his sentence at Sungai Udang Prison in Melaka.

The victim, who is the youngest of 11 siblings, died on Dec 26, four days after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of HSI, after falling unconscious at his older sister's friend's house in Senggarang, Batu Pahat.

Meanwhile, a relative of the victim, Ruslan Ahmad, 47, who previously had brief custody of the boy, expressed his sadness when met at the HSI Forensics Department, and hoped the guilty party would receive just punishment.

He said that the victim had been under the care of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) for three years, before being handed over to his guardianship for a month.

"The baby boy's mother had previously been in prison, and when she got out, she begged me to give the boy back to her.

"So I gave the boy up (to the mother), but when his mother was re-arrested and sent to jail again, the baby was under the care of his sister," he said.

Ruslan, who is the uncle of the victim's father, said that the boy will be buried at Kampung Sungai Gatom Cemetery in Labis today.

Earlier, a hearse ferrying the boy's remains left the grounds of the HSI Forensics Department, accompanied by a police vehicle, at 2.48 pm.

Bruises from being hit and burn marks were among the worst injuries inflicted on the boy.

Thus far, a total of five individuals, aged 15 to 37, have been detained to assist in the police investigation, including the victim's 19-year-old sister, her 37-year-old husband and a friend.

-- BERNAMA