Siti Aminah Nor Ali, who holds a master’s degree in special education, said this when cross-examined by lawyer Haresh Mahadevan, lead counsel for the boy’s parents.
Ismanira Abdul Manaf and her husband Zaim Ikhwan Zahari are on trial for neglecting the boy in a manner likely to cause him harm.
Siti, the ninth prosecution witness, told the sessions court she had been attending to Zayn Rayyan between March 2023 and the day he went missing.
Haresh: Did the mother supply food without fail whenever Zayn Rayyan came to school?
Siti: Yes.
Haresh: Did the mother supply fresh home-cooked food if the boy disliked an earlier packed meal?
Siti: Yes.
Haresh: From your observation while in school, was she a loving and caring mother?
Siti: Yes.
Haresh: Did the mother prioritise the child’s safety by ensuring that he wore a crash helmet although the distance between the school and their home was only 2km?
Siti: Yes.
Haresh: Did that give you the impression that she would not neglect her child?
Siti: Yes.
The witness also said that Ismanira took her son for regular medical check-ups.
Deputy public prosecutor Aqrie Durranie Aziz did not re-examine the witness on this line of questioning.
During examination-in-chief, Siti, 40, said Zayn Rayyan was placed at her school as the boy needed special attention.
“He was not a problematic child and was not active in class. He could take simple instructions and tended to be in his own world as he sat in one corner of the classroom,” she said.
Siti said Zayn Rayyan had a speech problem but was able to communicate with her through conduct.
“For example, if he held my hand, that indicated he wanted to get permission to do something,” she said.
Siti said Ismanira sent and picked the boy up from school practically every day and always prepared home-cooked food for him to eat.
On the day Zayn Rayyan went missing, Siti said Ismanira was late to pick him up. She told the court that she walked the boy to the gate when his mother arrived on her motorcycle.
Siti said she came to know through the school’s group chat later that afternoon that Zayn Rayyan had gone missing but did not think much of it initially.
“It is normal for children like Zayn Rayyan to wander off but they are usually found,” she said.
The next morning, Dec 6, Siti accompanied the school headmaster and two senior assistants to meet Ismanira at her home in Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, as there was still no news of the boy.
“We went there to give her moral support and raise her spirits,” she said, adding that Ismanira was at home together with her mother-in-law.
Siti said Ismanira was in a state of distress and had not consumed any food or drink since her son went missing at about 12.30pm the previous day.
The witness said at one juncture that Ismanira screamed and said: “Zayn, this is all mummy’s fault.”
Yesterday, another witness, Faizul Najib Abd Munaim, testified that he had with the aid of a torchlight spotted a body on a sand bank near a stream at about 9.30pm on Dec 6.
Ismanira and Zaim, both 30, claimed trial to the child neglect charge on June 13 last year.
The offence allegedly occurred at PJU Damansara Damai between noon on Dec 5 and 9.55pm on Dec 6, 2023.
The offence, framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, is punishable by a fine of up to RM50,000, 20 years’ imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.
Zayn Rayyan was reported missing on Dec 5, 2023. His body was discovered in a stream near his home at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, the following day.
The hearing before trial judge Syahliza Warnoh continues.