GOPENG - A newborn baby girl was found wrapped in batik cloth inside a box on the roadside near Gua Tempurung here on Sunday.
Kampar district police chief Superintendent Mohamad Nazri Daud said the baby was found still alive and healthy, with traces of blood along with the umbilical cord and placenta.
He said the police received information about the discovery at 3.15pm from two workers who happened to pass through the road to check on their cattle.
"As they approached the area, they saw what appeared to be a baby's foot sticking out of a box placed at the entrance of a Quranic study and moral recovery centre.
"Suspicious of the situation, they checked the box and found a baby girl wrapped only in cloth," he said when contacted by Sinar on Monday.
He said initial investigations found that the baby was likely left in the area for less than 12 hours before being found.
He said that for the time being, the police were still conducting investigations, including around the scene to track down the suspects involved.
"The area is a public walkthrough and unfenced. There are no closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings that could assist in the investigation.
"The police also conducted checks on three female residents at the study centre and found no signs of childbirth," he said.
Nazri said the baby was reported to be in stable condition and received further treatment at Hospital Kampar.
"The Social Welfare Department (JKM) has been informed of the case of finding this baby.
"The case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code for concealing birth," he said.