JOHOR BARU: A three-year-old boy died, allegedly from physical abuse, by a man who has been entrusted to take care of him and his younger sibling in Taman Skudai here.

Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police were notified about the incident at Jalan Ria 2 after the victim’s father lodged a report between 10pm and 11pm on Sunday (Oct 2) night.

He added that police arrested the 28-year-old salesman, who had priors, and a 40-year-old Indonesian maid on Monday (Oct 3) afternoon.

“The victim’s father works in Singapore, while the mother works in Yong Peng. They entrusted their friend, who is the male suspect, to take care of their two children and pay him about RM2,800 a month.

“The victim and his younger sibling, who is one year old, has been under the suspect’s care, three months ago,” he said in a press conference.

Comm Kamarul Zaman added that only the victim was abused as the body showed bruise marks and small wounds, while the younger sibling did not suffer any injuries.

He said the body has been sent to Sultanah Aminah Hospital for a post mortem, while the police would bring the two suspects to the Johor Baru magistrate’s court for a remand application.

Comm Kamarul Zaman added the police would investigate the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

“In this case, we will get statements from several parties, including CCTV footage found at the scene,” he said.

Comm Kamarul Zaman also urged the community, especially parents and guardians of children, to always be patient and sane in upholding the trust given to them.

“This incident is a tragedy, because the victim is a young child who is growing up.

“Children at that age should be looked after and fed well and not treated like this. The police will be firm to ensure that guilty parties are brought to justice,” he added.