A 19-year-old student allegedly gave birth to a baby boy in a hostel toilet at an educational institution in Dungun on Wednesday night, before the newborn was wrapped in cloth, placed in a bag and kept inside a locker.
Dungun district police chief Superintendent Nik Ab Halim Nik Mat said police received a report about the discovery of the baby’s body at 10.48pm yesterday.
He said preliminary investigations found that the student was believed to have suffered a miscarriage before delivering the baby, who was estimated to have been around eight months’ gestation.
“After giving birth, she is believed to have wrapped the baby in cloth before placing it in a bag and keeping it inside the locker,” he said when contacted.
Nik Ab Halim said the incident came to light after the management of a mosque contacted the educational institution, informing it that the student had sought assistance to arrange the baby’s burial.
Following the report, police conducted an investigation at the scene and are taking further action to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He said police would record statements from relevant witnesses and conduct a forensic examination at the scene with assistance from the Criminal Investigation Department’s Forensic Unit.
“Police will also trace the student’s boyfriend to assist in the investigation,” he said.
The baby’s body was subsequently taken to the Forensic Department of Dungun Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
The case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code for concealing a birth.
