The remand for two women employed at a childcare centre has been extended by another week in connection with the death of a four-month-old baby, magistrate Nurul Rasyidah Mohd Akit ruled today. The extension allows authorities to continue investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The two 22-year-old women were initially remanded for a week last Tuesday following their arrest at the centre shortly after the incident, which occurred within the grounds of Seberang Jaya Hospital last Monday.
Both women appeared at the Bukit Mertajam magistrate’s court for the remand proceedings at about 8.36am, wearing purple lock-up attire and handcuffs, covering their faces with their hands.
The infant, identified as Hayl Haarith Mohd Syafaeez, was found unresponsive at the 24-hour childcare centre on March 9. His mother, Ummu Habibah Wahab, 30, a night-shift nurse, was alerted that her son’s face had turned blue and rushed him to the hospital’s emergency department around 4am. Doctors performed an hour of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but the baby could not be revived.
The family is now seeking justice over the tragic death. A post-mortem examination has been carried out, but the exact cause of death is still pending laboratory results and further inquiries.
State police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail confirmed that police have launched a murder investigation following the infant’s death.
