PETALING JAYA: During a court hearing on Thursday (Feb 6), a witness recounted the moment when the body of autistic child Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin was discovered in a river, prompting an anguished reaction from the boy's father.
According to Sinar Harian, the testimony was given in the Sessions Court in the trial of Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and his wife, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, who are facing charges related to neglect.
The sixth prosecution witness, Faizul Najib Abd Munaim, 47, described how he began searching for Zayn Rayyan, 6, after a prayer session at the Al-Hidayah surau near the incident site on Dec 6, 2023.
After completing the prayer, Faizul, a sales executive, joined a search operation along the river with two other residents and four children.
He said it was 9.40pm and he used a flashlight to navigate the area, which was overgrown with vegetation.
"I then saw the child's body and shouted, 'Found him, call an ambulance!' Then I jumped into the river, which was over a meter deep.
"I saw the body lying on a sandbank, looking peaceful as if he was sleeping. When I shouted, there was no response; I hoped he would blink his eyes, but there was no reaction."
