Abused schoolboy in operating theatre

JOHOR BARU: The 11-year-old student whose legs were amputated due to alleged physical abuse at a religious school in Kota Tinggi is currently undergoing surgery which will likely see him lose his right arm.

Update: Schoolboy in abuse case dies

His aunt Dzuraidah Ahmad, 38, said that the boy entered the operating theatre of Hospital Sultan Ismail at around 8am on Wednesday. However, the procedure has been delayed as his heart rate is not stable.

She said the decision to amputate Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi's right arm came after there was no improvement to the condition of the limb.

It was reported that his right arm and fingers had turned black due to damaged blood cells and tissue despite showing signs of improvement on Sunday.

"The doctors told us that the most important thing is saving the boy's life and we trust them as they tried their level best to avoid cutting off his arm earlier.

"We want to prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of his body and causing more problems," she said when contacted.

The 11-year-old is now likely to lose his right arm in addition to both his legs following the alleged abuse by the school's assistant warden.

The suspect, 29, an ex-convict, reportedly whipped the boy and several other students with a water hose to punish them.

His police remand ends Wednesday.

* This story has been updated. In a previous version, it was reported that the operation to remove his right arm had already been conducted.