Iskandar Puteri police chief M Kumarasan said the 56-year-old man was detained in Taman Bukit Indah at 2.40pm, Harian Metro reported.

He added that the suspect has no prior criminal record and tested negative for drugs.

“The suspect has been remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for seven days, starting today until next Wednesday,” he was quoted as saying.

Earlier, Kumarasan confirmed that police were investigating the death of the kindergarten pupil, who was found unconscious inside the school van at around 12pm in Taman Bukit Indah, Iskandar Puteri, in Johor Bahru.

The child is believed to have been accidentally left behind in the van after the driver finished dropping off other students at a kindergarten at around 7.30am.

The boy’s body was sent to Sultanah Aminah Hospital for a post-mortem, and the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect.