PETALING JAYA – The murder investigation of 6-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin continues even though his parents pleaded not guilty to child neglect this morning.
During a press conference outside the court complex here, defence lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin said police were still investigating the boy’s murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, despite a child neglect charge against the parents.
“Zayn Rayyan’s parents were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, but the murder investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code has not stopped.
“Police will continue their probe to find out who the real culprit is, as hoped for by the family and the community.
“However, we are unsure whether Zayn Rayyan’s parents could be charged again in the future under Section 302… that depends on the investigation. It is out of our bounds, we cannot comment on that,” said Fahmi, who appeared for Zayn Rayyan’s father, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mahmud Abdul Jumaat, who appeared for Zayn Rayyan’s mother, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, told reporters that they were still waiting for documents detailing today’s charges from the prosecution.
“We were only given the charge sheet today. We didn’t have the copy of the case facts… none whatsoever. So, we’d have to wait until the next date to get these documents.”
In addressing public speculation, Mahmud said the parents were facing the charge of child neglect, not abuse.
The investigation into Zayn Rayyan’s death was again thrusted into the headlines on May 31, when police arrested Zaim and Ismanira. They were in police custody from June 1 until today.
The couple pleaded not guilty to child neglect before sessions court judge Syahliza Warnoh here today. They were each released on RM10,000 bail.
The judge also fixed July 26 for case mention.
On December 6 last year, the 6-year-old boy’s body was found at a stream near Idaman Apartments, Damansara Damai, some 200m from his house. A post-mortem indicated that the child was killed, based on injuries found on his neck and body. – June 13, 2024