Nor Zaharuddin Sanip, who is an assistant superintendent of police, said this when asked whether they suspected any residents of Block R, Apartment Idaman – where the boy’s family stays – of being involved in Zayn Rayyan’s disappearance.
“Early on, our focus was only to search for the missing boy. There was no suspect,” he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Aqharie Durranie Aziz.
Zaharuddin also said he had asked Zayn Rayyan’s mother, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, for more details about her son, but she could not answer his questions.
“I asked his mother questions like how he got lost, how it happened and what his interests were, but she couldn’t answer.
“So, I instructed investigating officer Nina Syamimi Syamsuddin to continue recording her statement in a police car,” he said.
Earlier, defence lawyer Haresh Mahadevan had suggested to Zaharuddin during cross-examination that every resident of Block R could be a suspect in the police investigation.
Another witness, Dr Lim Pei-Yi, a paediatric specialist, testified Zayn Rayyan had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
She clarified she had never met Zayn but based her report on medical notes from Selayang Hospital’s computer system, which she prepared on Dec 20, 2023, at the paediatric department’s instruction.
According to the medical notes, the boy had visited the hospital twice — on Oct 4, 2022 and Sept 5, 2023.
“Based on the notes, the boy could only speak 30 words and was unable to form a sentence.
“This does not align with the speech development of a six-year-old,” Lim said.
Zayn Rayyan was reported missing on Dec 5, 2023, and his body was discovered the following day in a stream near his home at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai.
He was believed to have been murdered after an autopsy revealed injuries to his neck and body consistent with self-defence.
Ismanira and her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, both 30, were charged in the sessions court in June last year with neglecting Zayn Rayyan in a manner likely to cause him physical harm.
The charge was framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, the court allowed the prosecution to amend the charge against the couple, specifying the exact location where the offence allegedly took place.
The charge was amended to state that the offence allegedly occurred around Block R of Apartment Idaman, up to the stream near the apartment.
Previously, the charge stated that the offence was allegedly committed at Jalan PJU 10/1, Damansara Damai, between 12pm on Dec 5, 2023, and 9.55pm the following day.
Both accused claimed trial to the amended charge.