KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — The trial involving the parents of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin, accused of neglecting their autistic son, will begin on Monday at the Sessions Court here.
Deputy public prosecutors will present the case before Judge Syahliza Warnoh, calling prosecution witnesses to testify, including the investigating officer, a photographer, and medical personnel, according to a report published in The Star today.
The prosecution previously stated that 15 witnesses would testify against Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf throughout the trial, scheduled for February 3 to 7, February 17 to 21, and March 10 to 14.
However, defence lawyer Haresh Mahadevan, representing the 30-year-old couple, revealed that the defence has received a witness list of 32 individuals.
“As per court records, the trial is set to proceed on Monday, and we have received the names of the prosecution witnesses. We are prepared for the trial, depending on the court’s instructions,” he said, alongside co-counsel Ramzani Idris, when contacted by the media.
On June 13 last year, the couple entered a not guilty plea to charges of neglecting their six-year-old son, Zayn Rayyan, in a way that could potentially cause him physical harm.
The alleged incident took place along Jalan PJU Damansara Damai between noon on December 5, 2023, and 9.55pm the following day.
The charge, laid under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, is punishable under Section 31(1) of the same Act, in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
If found guilty, the couple could be fined up to RM50,000, sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison, or both.
On December 6, 2023, Zayn Rayyan was found dead in a stream near Idaman Apartment, Damansara Damai, around 10pm.
On the night of December 6, 2023, at approximately 10pm, Zayn Rayyan’s body was discovered in a stream near Idaman Apartment, Damansara Damai.
The six-year-old had been reported missing earlier, and his remains were found roughly 200 metres away from his residential building.
