KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — A 26-year-old man has been arrested to assist in the investigation of the fatal drowning of his four-year-old stepsister earlier this month, The Star reported.

The English daily said the suspect, who is her stepbrother, was detained yesterday after the police reviewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident.

"Based on our checks, we discovered the man was near the pool when the incident occurred.

"He [was seen only looking] at the victim drowning without doing anything to save her,” Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaid Hassan said in a statement.

The case is being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act for alleged ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children.

The child had drowned in a swimming pool in a Bangi apartment on September 13, and a police report was lodged by a Serdang Hospital medical officer who received the unconscious victim on the same day.

Police said their investigation found that the incident occurred around 3pm on that day, and the victim was declared dead at 1pm on September 14.

The case was initially classified as sudden death, the police said.