ISMANIRA Abdul Manaf, the mother of the late Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, testified in court today that she suspected her six-year-old son had been “snatched and taken away” on the day of his disappearance, as she “did not hear the sound of his footsteps”.
Giving evidence as the first defence witness during the ongoing trial at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court, Ismanira, 30, said she became alarmed when the familiar sound of her son’s footsteps abruptly ceased as they were on the stairs at Block R of the Idaman Apartment, Damansara Damai.
“I suspected my son was taken by someone because I did not hear the sound of his footsteps at all,” she told Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin during cross-examination.
She added, “I used my sense of hearing to monitor Zayn’s whereabouts and at times I would turn around to check on him. Sometimes he would run ahead of me, sometimes behind — but he was always under my watch.”
Despite being on the autism spectrum, Ismanira said her son was intelligent and familiar with his surroundings. “He knew how to find his way to places he often visited — his grandparents’ house, his school, and the local shop,” Harian Metro cited here saying.
Ismanira was present in court for her defence proceedings after being ordered to enter a defence against a charge of neglecting Zayn, which allegedly resulted in physical harm.
Yesterday, Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against her. However, her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, was discharged and acquitted after the court found the prosecution had failed to prove its case against him.
The defence is expected to call five witnesses, including Ismanira herself, over the course of the four-day defence hearing.
Under the amended charge, Ismanira and Zaim Ikhwan, as persons having custody of Zayn Rayyan at the time, are accused of jointly neglecting the child in a manner likely to cause him physical injury.
The alleged offence occurred between 12 noon on 5 December and 9.55pm on 6 December 2023, in the vicinity of Block R of the Idaman Apartment and a nearby stream in Damansara Damai.
The couple were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment or a fine of RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
Zayn Rayyan was reported missing on 5 December 2023. His body was found the following day in a stream close to the family’s home.
The defence proceedings are set to resume tomorrow. - July 23, 2025
