KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — A five-year-old boy was found abandoned in a cornfield in Kampung Pulai Sebatang, Ayer Baloi, on December 29, according to the Pontian district police.
District police chief Mohd Shofee Tayib said the boy was handed over to the Pontian Welfare Department for further care and assistance as no parent or guardian had come forth to claim the child.
“On December 30, 2024, a Malay woman approached the Welfare Department, claiming to be related to the child, and the police will investigate the child’s family background,” he said in a statement.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(A) of the Child Act 2001, which carries penalties of up to RM50,000 in fines, 20 years' imprisonment, or both upon conviction.
Shofee urged the public not to speculate as it could disrupt the investigation, but asked those with information to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at the district headquarters.
