Malaysian police arrest parents of murdered autistic boy
PETALING JAYA, Selangor – The parents of six-year-old autistic boy Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin, who was murdered in December 2023, have been arrested.
The arrest was made in Puncak Alam, a city in Selangor state, at around 11am on May 31, Malaysian media outlet Sinar Harian reported.
Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the suspects will be remanded for seven days as part of the murder investigation. “They were arrested based on intelligence and leads gathered from the first day (of investigation) until now,” he said.
On Dec 5, 2023, Zayn Rayyan was reported missing in Damansara Damai suburb in Kuala Lumpur and was found dead near a stream about 200m from his home at Apartment Idaman the next day.
A post-mortem revealed injuries to his neck and body, leading to the conclusion that he had been killed by someone.
New leads led to the arrest, said the couple’s lawyer, Mr Mahmud Abdul Jumaat.
Asked about whether it was possible that new evidence in the investigation or conflicting statements were discovered, Mr Mahmud said those could have been reasons for the arrests.
“When I saw them, they were in shock and did not expect to be named suspects in their son’s murder,” he said.
“I also did not expect this. In fact, I believe the whole country is shocked, but I believe the police are requesting... the remand to complete their investigation.”
In media reports in February, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said that despite facing challenges, including identifying the primary location of the murder, the police had not given up and were still scrutinising every piece of information gathered so far to solve the case.
He said the CID had used all its expertise, including in forensics, to ensure that the criminals responsible could be brought to justice.
As part of the probe, a mass DNA screening was conducted, and 228 samples were collected.
In February, the Selangor Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation offered a RM20,000 (S$5,700) reward for information leading to the apprehension of the boy’s murderer. – THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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