PETALING JAYA – The playground at the Idaman Apartments in Damansara Damai here is quiet, the cheerful shouts of children silenced as parents hush them back into their homes.
Residents are scared, one of them told Scoop, after six-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin’s death was reclassified as a murder.
The resident, a neighbour of the victim’s family who did not want to be named, said the playground where Zayn Rayyan and his mother were before he disappeared used to be a lively place where parents would bring their young children to, with some even staying on till late at night.
“Since the murder, children have stopped coming to the playground. Otherwise, after school, this place will be noisy with the sound of their voices.
“Sometimes, the playground would be a hive of activity until 2am, especially if there was no school the next day,” the resident said.
He said even the adult residents of the apartments don’t like being outside anymore.
Zayn Rayyan, who was diagnosed with autism, was found dead next to a stream some 100m from Block R of the apartment complex where he lived, at around 10pm on December 6 (Wednesday).
Idaman Apartments comprises 18 blocks, housing a total of 2,484 units. The playground where Zayn Rayyan played before going missing on December 5 (Tuesday) was outside his block.
The child had been with his mother who told him to follow her home and was making her way upstairs when she realised he was not with her.
The resident said Zayn Rayyan frequented the playground often, usually after school and before going up to his flat.
“But now he is gone. How dare anyone do this to him, especially a special child like him,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, sundry shop worker Maizatul Anis Mansor, 27, said Zayn Rayyan often dropped by the shop, always accompanied by his mother, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, to buy daily groceries.
“I definitely recognise Zayn because he used to come to the shop with his mother and sibling two to three times a week.
“He will usually drop by in the morning before heading to school while his mother will purchase buns and his favourite sweets,” Maizatul, who works as a cashier, said.
When asked about the late boy’s character, Maizatul described Zayn Rayyan as an obedient boy who would always listen to his mother’s instructions.
“I often observed whenever he (Zayn Rayyan) is in the shop, he behaves well and has never thrown a tantrum. He does not run around the shop at all but always tails his mother instead.
“I only learnt that Zayn is a special child through media reports. No wonder he is so quiet whenever he comes to the shop,” the Impian Apartments resident added.
Neighbouring sundry shop worker, Mohd Saiful Auliya, 24, shared similar sentiments saying that Zayn Rayyan would visit the shop often, accompanied by his mother, to buy several items and foodstuffs, including snacks after returning from school.
“Zayn and his mother will drop by the shop after noon when he is coming back from the school.
“His mother will buy Zayn his favourite snacks such as sweets and chocolates that all children generally like,” he added.
After Zayn Rayyan’s body was found on Wednesday night, police reclassified his death to murder on the next day.
Last night, police began taking DNA samples of residents in an operation covering all 18 blocks of the apartment complex.
They are also searching for clues using drones to capture aerial images of the area, tracker dogs, as well as appealing to apartment residents to share their dashcam footage.
Police have also statements of several people, including Zayn Rayyan’s parents for a second time, as well as the person who found the boy’s body in the stream. – December 10, 2023