Tampin district police chief Anuwal Ab Wahab said police arrested the 23-year-old man and the victim’s mother at the Air Kuning Selatan health clinic on the same day after receiving a report from a medical officer who treated the baby.

Anuwal said the victim was the biological child of a 17-year-old woman who had married the suspect about eight months ago.

“On Aug 25, we were approached by a medical officer who informed us that he had seen a patient, a 16-month-old baby with bruises on his eyes.

“The man (suspect) admitted to hitting the baby because the victim was crying and this made him angry to the extent he punched the child in the face. The man also admitted to placing a lighted cigarette butt on the baby’s left foot,” Anuwal said in a statement, here, today.

He said the couple had taken the victim to the Air Kuning Selatan health clinic and then the child was transferred to a hospital in Kuala Pilah for further treatment.

He said the victim’s stepfather, who has a previous drug record, has been remanded until Sept 6 while the victim’s mother was released on police bail on the same day.

The investigation paper has been referred to the deputy public prosecutor and the suspect will be charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 while the victim’s mother will be charged under Section 33 of the Child Act 2001 for child neglect in the Tampin Magistrate’s Court on Monday.