PETALING JAYA: Ismanira Abdul Manaf, who is facing charges of child neglect linked to the death of her six-year-old autistic son, Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, denied being present at the time and location stated in the amended charge sheet.
The 30-year-old, who took the stand today as the first witness after being ordered by Sessions Court judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh to enter her defence, refuted the allegation that she was at the stream near Idaman Apartment in Damansara Damai.
During examination-in-chief, lawyer Haresh Mahadevan referred her to the amended charge against her in March.
Haresh: Were you there between 12.30pm on Dec 5, 2023, and about 9.55pm on Dec 6, 2023?
Ismanira: No. I was not at Block R the whole time and did not go to that area.
Haresh: Was there any statement in court from witnesses who said you were at the stream area as per the charge sheet?
Ismanira: No.
Ismanira told the court that on the night of Dec 6, 2023, she was at the Block R parking area with her second son when she heard screams from a search party that Zayn Rayyan had been found after going missing the day before.
“I cried for joy as I thought Zayn Rayyan had been safely found. My husband was crying, and my father-in-law shook his head and said Zayn Rayyan was gone.
“I told them to check thoroughly. That is not Zayn Rayyan, but another child,” she said.
Ismanira also denied that she had neglected her son, as per the charge, stating that she had never let him out of sight, and if he had run away, she would have chased after him.
“I have never neglected Zayn Rayyan, especially on Dec 5 and 6, as stated in the charge,” she said.
Ismanira became overwhelmed with emotion and cried when she described the condition of Zayn Rayyan’s body, which was brought to the Sungai Buloh Hospital’s Forensic Unit later that night.
“It had started to decompose and smell. He had bruises on the back of his head and hands, blood oozed out of his nose, and his mouth could not be shut.
“His eyes were swollen, stomach bloated, and his legs had shrunk and were pale,” she said.
Noticing that Ismanira was close to breaking down, Syahliza told her to take her time to answer and that she did not have to do so immediately if she was emotionally unstable.
Ismanira told the court that she had asked the police what had happened to Zayn Rayyan, and she was told that there were criminal elements.
Asked by Haresh if the police revealed the perpetrator to her, Ismanira said no.
Ismanira said she was devastated and unable to accept the tragic twist of events with the discovery of Zayn Rayyan’s body when just the day before, she had picked him up from special education school and had wanted to cook him his favourite spaghetti bolognese for lunch.
She said the police told her that they were investigating several suspects.
“Based on the injuries inflicted on my son, police suspected that the perpetrator could be a paedophile, a drug addict, that is what I remember.”
Asked if she had checked with the police on the status of the case, which was initially classified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, Ismanira said her lawyer had sent three letters to enquire but received no reply until today.
Ismanira also denied that she had a blank reaction on the day Zayn Rayyan went missing, as testified by fourth prosecution witness Inspector Nina Syamimi Syamsuddin during the prosecution stage.
“I do not know what she meant by that. I had been crying all day from the time my son disappeared.
“I was going through a bitter and dark time, and my son was on my mind. It was raining, and I was wondering where he was and if he was safe or not,” she said.
The trial continues tomorrow.
Earlier, Syahliza ordered Ismanira to put up her defence after ruling that the prosecution had successfully proven a prima facie case against her on charges of child neglect.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
