Domestic helper arrested over discovery of newborn's remains

KANGAR - Police arrested a 28-year-old Indonesian domestic helper to assist in the investigation of the discovery of a body of a baby boy buried behind her employer's neighbour's house in Taman Mutiara here on Dec 30 last year.

Kangar district police deputy chief Superintendent Baeyah Abdul Wahab said the arrest was made during a raid at her employer's house at 2.20 pm on Dec 30 based on information. She said that this was after the police received a report from the public regarding the discovery of the body of a baby boy in the backyard of the house at 11.01 am on the same day.

"Results from the initial investigation found that the baby boy was buried at a depth of five inches, and the area was also open and unfenced.

"The baby still had the umbilical cord attached and was wrapped in white cloth. The baby boy was buried behind the house next to her employer's," she told reporters here today.

According to Baeyah based on the interrogations conducted on the suspect, she is believed to have buried the baby boy after discovering that the baby was no longer alive after giving birth alone in her employer's house.

"The suspect gave birth to this baby on Dec 20 last year, at noon, and buried the baby on the following day at 6.30 am. Our investigation found that during the incident, her employer was in Kuala Lumpur," she said.

Baeyah said the employer was unaware that the woman was pregnant as she showed no physical signs of the pregnancy after coming to work in Malaysia in May last year.

She said the suspect has been remanded until Jan 5 and the case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code.

She added that the body of the baby boy was sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar.