JOHOR BARU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak conveyed his condolences through a telephone call on Wednesday to the father of abused boy Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, 11, who died earlier in the day.
The phone call was made through Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who represented Najib in paying respects to the boy at Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI).
Dr Asyraf Wajdi arrived at the hospital's forensics department at around 8.20pm.
He was seen hugging and speaking to Mohamad Thaqif Amin's father Mohd Gaddafi Mat Karim, 43, to learn more about the situation.
During the brief meeting, Dr Asyraf Wajdi made a telephone call to Najib before passing his mobile phone to Mohd Gaddafi.
Mohd Gaddafi and Najib exchanged a few words and the boy's father was heard thanking the Prime Minister for his condolences.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi said Najib's directive to him was to offer whatever assistance Mohamad Thaqif Amin's family needed for the boy's funeral.
He also handed a contribution to Mohd Gaddafi.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi said the public should stop speculating on the case because it could hurt the family's feelings and taint the institution of religious schools.
"It is unfair for us to prematurely pin the blame on anybody or any party before investigations are completed and without any proof," he said, adding that the authorities should be allowed to investigate the matter.
Mohamad Thaqif Amin, who died at 2.05pm Wednesday, had been admitted to HSI for a bacterial infection allegedly caused by abuse at a private religious school in Kota Tinggi.
The infection damaged Thaqif's limbs: the boy's legs had to be amputated on April 21 after he was admitted on April 19.
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