Two female staff at a 24-hour childcare centre near Seberang Jaya Hospital in Penang have been remanded for seven days as police investigate the death of a four-month-old boy on Monday.
The remand order for the 22-year-old women was granted by Magistrate Roshayati Radellah at the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court following a police application. The suspects arrived at court around 8:35am, handcuffed and wearing purple detention uniforms, attempting to shield their faces from media cameras.
Earlier, Chief of Penang Police, Datuk Azizee Ismail, confirmed that a murder investigation has been opened into the incident.
The infant, identified as Hayl Haarith Mohd Syafaeez, was found unresponsive at the 24-hour daycare centre early Monday morning. His mother, Ummu Habibah Wahab, 30, a night-shift nurse, was alerted when her child’s face turned blue and rushed him to the hospital’s emergency department at around 4am.
Medical personnel reportedly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for approximately an hour, but the baby could not be saved. The child had just returned to the centre after his mother resumed work following her confinement period and was the couple’s firstborn.
The family is demanding justice, with the father, Mohd Syafaeez Mat Liki, 35, stating he will not forgive those responsible for his son’s death.
