Johor police chief M Kumar said two men and a woman aged between 28 and 55 were arrested at around 1.30pm in the Iskandar Puteri area yesterday.

However, he said the child has yet to be found.

“The investigation is being conducted under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping or abducting with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person,” he said in a statement.

He also advised the public to refrain from making speculations that could disrupt the investigation, and to channel any information through the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or the operations room at 07-2212999.

Iskandar Puteri police chief M Kumarasan had reportedly asked for the public’s help in locating the child, whom her father noticed had gone missing at the mall at about 8.30pm.

Kumarasan was quoted as saying that the child was 120cm tall with long black hair and fair skin. She was wearing shorts and a white Mickey Mouse T-shirt.