THE father, Mohd Syafaeez Mat Liki, 35, described the devastating moment he realised a video call with his son, Hayl Haarith, the night before the incident, would be their last.
“He looked happy that evening before my wife, Ummu Habibah Wahab, 30, went on duty as a nurse,” he recalled.
“But sorrow engulfed us when I received a phone call from the daycare at around 4 a.m., informing me that my son had drowned in his sleep.”
The family’s fears were confirmed shortly after 5.40 a.m.(on Monday), when his wife informed him that Hayl Haarith had passed away.
“Initially, I assumed it was a natural death with no suspicious circumstances. However, after the post-mortem, several suspicious injuries were found on his head, eyes, nose, and the right side of his face.
There were also lacerations on his scalp consistent with blunt force trauma,” he said at the child’s funeral on Tuesday.
Mohd Syafaeez, a trader from Terengganu, stressed that he would never forgive those responsible.
“I will not forgive this inhuman act. I vow to seek justice so that no other family suffers the same fate,” he said, expressing particular regret that he had not been able to take his wife and child shopping for new clothes for the Eid celebrations.
“I feel saddened and regretful that our plans to buy festive clothing together did not come to pass. I accept what has happened,” he added.
The infant was laid to rest at the Kampung Kelulut and Rhu Redang Islamic Cemetery at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Earlier reports revealed that the baby was found unresponsive at a 24-hour childcare centre within the grounds of Hospital Seberang Jaya in Penang.
Authorities have launched an investigation after the family claimed that closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the centre suggested evidence of abuse.
Two female staff members, both aged 22, were remanded for seven days to assist in the investigation into the death of the four-month-old infant.
The remand was granted by Magistrate Roshayati Radellah following a police application at the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court today.
The suspects arrived at the court at around 8.35 a.m., dressed in purple detention uniforms and handcuffs, attempting to shield their faces from the media.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Azizee Ismail previously confirmed that a murder investigation had been opened following the infant’s death.
Hayl Haarith was rushed to the hospital’s emergency department at around 4 a.m. after his mother received a call reporting that her child’s face had turned blue.
Medical staff attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for approximately one hour, but the infant could not be saved.
The baby had only recently been sent to the childcare centre following the end of his mother’s confinement period and was the couple’s firstborn.
The family continues to demand justice for the child’s death. Mohd Syafaeez reiterated that he would never forgive those responsible for the loss of his son. - March 10, 2026
