Source of boy’s infection being traced

KLUANG: Authorities are trying to trace where 11-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi could have contracted leptospirosis, which led to his death.

This was to examine if the tahfiz school pupil could have caught the disease while he was away from the religious school for a holiday, said Johor State Environment, Health, Education and Information Com­mit­tee chairman Datuk Ayub Rah­mat.

“There is a huge possibility that the victim’s family had brought him out of the religious school to several places before the incident.

“The state department will check where he had been to, whether he contracted the disease while he was at his village, certain recreational areas or the religious school itself,” he said yesterday.

He was asked to comment on the matter after attending a human-elephant conflict public awareness pro­­gramme in Kampung Sri Lukut in Kahang here.

Ayub declined to comment further as he has yet to receive a full briefing about the matter from the Health Ministry.

He added that leptospirosis was under control in Johor and usually affects recreational areas.

In Kuala Lumpur, Deputy Inspec­tor-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said Mohamad Thaqif’s case was no longer classified as murder, after post-mortem revealed he died of leptospirosis.

“We may investigate it as causing harm,” he told reporters at Bukit Aman yesterday.

He added that police may also recommend an inquest to determine the circumstances of the boy’s death.

In a statement on Monday, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the boy had died due to leptospirosis and other complications.

Dr Noor Hisham added that a special inquiry – comprising forensic consultant experts who were experienced in handling complicated cases – had been set up to investigate the case.

Johor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police would update the investigation papers and wait for new instruction from the deputy public prosecutors office.

On April 19, Mohamad Thaqif was warded following alleged abuse by the school’s assis-tant warden, who is also an ex-convict.

His legs had to be amputated due to bacterial infection. The infection also spread to his right arm.

He died on April 26.