Penang criminal investigation department chief Rahimi Ra’ais said the 41-year-old man, who worked as a trader, was arrested yesterday after his wife lodged a report on the incident.

“His 31-year-old wife told police that she and their nine children, aged one to 13, had been abused by the suspect.

“Following this, police detained the man to assist in their investigation.

“He has been remanded until Jan 6,” Rahimi was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He said the victims were currently receiving medical treatment while further investigations were underway to ascertain how many of the children were injured as a result of the alleged abuse.

The case is being investigated under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001.

When asked whether the woman was also abused, Rahimi said police were waiting for the medical report on the victim, who is a foreigner.

“We request the cooperation of the public or NGOs who have information on the incident to channel it to police to assist in the investigation.”

A picture of a woman with her nine children, who were rescued by several individuals with the help of NGOs in Penang, had spread on social media.

Based on the picture, some of the children appeared to have visible injuries.

According to Bernama, the victim also claimed that she was physically and mentally abused.

She asked for help to escape from the suspect as she could no longer bear the pain.