THE second resident who found Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin's body in the stream told the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court that he thought the autistic child was taken by spirits.
The seventh prosecution witness, Ahmad Nur Syaruddin Mad Zawawi, 36, said this during cross-examination by lawyer Haresh Mahadevan, who is representing Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, 30, and his wife, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, 30.
According to reports in Sinar Harian, the witness, who works as a customer service officer at a transportation company, said he believes in mystical elements such as spirits and demons.
Lawyer: So, do you believe there are mystical elements in the discovery of Zayn Rayyan's body?
Ahmad: The first thing I thought when the boy, Zayn Rayyan, went missing was that he had been taken by spirits.
During questioning by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Aqharie Durranie Aziz, the witness said that he began following the search operation for the missing child after returning from work at 9:30 pm on December 6, 2023.
Ahmad said that four to five of his friends also participated in the operation, moving as a group to the scene.
Prosecution: Why did you walk to that area, who informed you about the location?
Ahmad: No one informed us about it, we just thought there was a mystical element.
Prosecution: What about the method of searching?
Ahmad: I used a flashlight on the trees, bushes, and the stream, while another resident, known as Abang Faizul, was moving not far from where I was.
Prosecution: Then what happened?
Ahmad: Faizul said he found the body, then he went down to the stream and I also jumped into the water.
Prosecution: Earlier you said, many people started to come to the area, what happened next?
Ahmad: The deceased's grandfather came and said he wanted to see and hold Zayn Rayyan, at that time the body was already covered with a thick cloth. After that he asked to call the deceased's father but he screamed.
Prosecution: Do you remember what he said?
Ahmad: Not sure, it sounded like he was cursing.
This witness also said that the police did not allow anyone to approach the location because Zaim Ikhwan started to ramble.
Zaim Ikhwan and his wife, Ismanira, both 30, pleaded not guilty in the sessions court on June 13 last year to neglecting six-year-old Zayn Rayyan in a manner likely to cause him physical harm.
The offence allegedly occurred at PJU Damansara Damai between noon on Dec 5 and 9.55pm on Dec 6, 2023.
The charge was framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and is punishable under the same section, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code. If convicted, they face a fine of up to RM50,000, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both. - February 6, 2025
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