Shah Alam police chief Iqbal Ibrahim said the incident occurred at 6.55am, when the girl was left sleeping in the unlocked vehicle with the engine running while her mother dropped off her younger sibling at the daycare.

He said the child’s mother, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher, realised her car – with her eldest child still inside – was missing after she had dropped off her second child.

“The police received a call from a member of the public at 7.06am, and with the help of bystanders, efforts to locate the car were made. It was found at 7.45am,” he said.

“The child was found unharmed inside the vehicle, which had been abandoned near an apartment complex about 2km from the scene,” he said, according to Bernama.

Iqbal said preliminary investigations suggested that the suspect had intended to steal the vehicle but panicked upon hearing the child’s cries.

The suspect then abandoned the car and fled with the woman’s handbag, which contained bank cards, identification documents, and two mobile phones worth approximately RM2,000.

Iqbal urged those with information to contact investigating officer Khamsia Hung at 016-8119560.