JOHOR BARU: Police have received two reports regarding the custody of a seven-year-old girl, following a viral TikTok video by her mother claiming that the child was taken away by her father.
Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan said the girl's father lodged a police report on Aug 23 alleging that his daughter had sustained injuries while in her mother's care.
"Six days later, on Aug 29, the mother filed another report claiming that her ex-husband had taken the girl from Hospital Sultanah Aminah here,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 7).
He added that the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which criminalises the ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment, or exposure of a child in a manner that could cause physical or emotional injury.
He also said the Johor Baru Social Welfare Department has allowed the girl to be discharged into the care of her biological father for the time being.
"This is a temporary arrangement pending the ongoing child custody case between both parents, which is still being heard at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court,” he said.
The video uploaded by the mother on TikTok went viral, sparking public concern.
In the video, the woman alleged that her former husband abducted their child without her consent, and that she had hit a dead end after reporting the matter to the authorities.
