POLICE in Johor Bharu have reclassified the death of an 18-month-old baby boy as a murder case, with the child’s father identified as the main suspect after an investigation spanning nearly three years.
Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the case originated from a report lodged by a doctor at the Emergency Department of Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) on Sept 13, 2023.
He said the victim was brought to the hospital by his 40-year-old father in an unconscious state, with medical examinations later revealing bruising around the waist area, abdominal swelling and injuries around the anus.
“The victim was confirmed dead at 10.40am on the same day. Initially, the case was investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 on suspicion of neglect resulting in death,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters.
Ab Rahaman said police recorded statements from 13 individuals during the investigation, including close family members and members of the victim’s caregiver’s family, while DNA samples were also collected for analysis.
However, he said analysis by the Chemistry Department was unable to identify a suspect as the sample of fluid believed to be semen found in the victim’s anus was insufficient for further testing and comparison.
“The investigation continued until it led to the arrest of the victim’s 40-year-old father and 35-year-old uncle on July 18 and July 22 respectively.
“Checks found that the victim’s father, who works as a labourer in Singapore, had no previous criminal record, while the victim’s uncle had 13 previous records involving criminal and drug offences and tested positive for cannabis in a urine screening,” he said.
Ab Rahaman said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the victim was sexually assaulted by his father, although the matter remains under investigation.
He added that examinations of the father’s mobile phone also uncovered pornographic images and videos.
Following the latest developments, police have reclassified the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene material.
“The suspect will be brought before the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court tomorrow for both charges, while the victim’s uncle, who has been released, will become a prosecution witness,” he said. - July 28, 2026
