Police found a dead eight-month-old baby smeared with salt all over and kept in a sack underneath the kitchen table of a house in Kg Sg Dua, Melawi in Bachok, this morning.
Bachok district police chief, Samsulmuddin Sulaiman said the victim, Wan Mohamad Afiq Wan Roslan, who was believed to have been killed by his own father, had bruises on his body, especially his neck.
“Following this, police have arrested the baby’s father, a village odd-job worker in his 40s, for investigation,” he told reporters at the scene of the incident.
Samsulmuddin said the victim’s 32-year-old mother, who also had bruises on her body and was traumatised by the incident, was sent to the Bachok health centre for treatment.
He said the incident was discovered after the woman’s male cousin went to the house after receiving a phone call from her, and he then lodged a report at the district police headquarters at 11.30am.
Samsulmuddin said the victim’s remains were sent to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Baru and the case was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Meanwhile, the victim’s aunt, Masitah Mohd Radini, 46, when met at the scene, said she was shocked over what happened.
She said a week ago, she visited the couple’s house and there was nothing untoward happening except the victim’s father complaining about having fever due to a painful boil.