Mother of chained boy hides away at home, fear angry reactions from Netizens
HIDIR REDUAN
New Straits Times8 October 2017
KUANTAN: The mother of the 10-year-old boy, who was found chained to a gas cylinder on Thursday, now lives in fear of the public incensed by the incident. According to district welfare department officer Salihah Kamarudin, the 37-year-old housewife had locked herself in, refusing to step out of her home in Indera Mahkota since she was released from remand. "She is very afraid that people will come and look for her. This is especially in light of the angry reactions from Netizens," she said. She said that an officer from the Welfare Department had paid tried to visit the mother but to no avail.
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Kuantan district welfare department officer Salihah Kamarudin says the housewife had locked herself in, refusing to step out of her home in Indera Mahkota. File pic by FARIZUL HAFIZ AWANG.
"She had locked herself in the house and we only found this out when the officer called her number and she answered," said Salihah. She urged the mother and her 32-year-old husband, who is an army personnel at Batu 10 Camp, Jalan Gambang, to reach out to the Welfare Department immediately so that they can help the family resolve the issue. As for the condition of the boy, who is currently warded at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA), Salihah said that his health is stable. "Once the hospital decides to discharge him, they will inform us," she said.
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A neighbour points at the location where the boy was found chained to a gas cylinder. Pic by MUHAMMAD ASYRAF SAWAL.
She added that the department is prepared to place the boy under temporary care at a children's shelter while they try to reach out to his other relatives who might be willing to care for him. On Thursday, the boy was found chained to a gas cylinder at his house at 10am after he allegedly refused to attend school. Alerted by neighbours, a police team was forced to break down the door to rescue the boy, who was lying naked and unconscious on the floor. On Friday, the boy's mother and stepfather was arrested by the police and later remanded to facilitate investigation under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act (Amendment) 2016. However, the housewife and her husband have since been released on police bail.
