2 Boys Die After Scavenging And Eating Food From A Rubbish Bin In Langkawi
Their father found them disoriented in front of the bin at their neighbour's house.
By May Vin Ang — 14 Feb 2022, 04:15 PM
Two children died after eating food they scrounged up from a rubbish bin in Bukit Malut, Langkawi on Sunday, 13 February
The brothers and Myanmar nationals, four-year-old Nizambudin Jamaludin and two-year-old Ngei, reportedly died in front of a rubbish bin at a neighbour's home in Kampung Baru Sungai Tepa in the evening.
According to New Straits Times, Langkawi district police chief ACP Shariman Ashari said the police were notified of the incident at 6.15pm and immediately rushed to the location.
"The boys' father found his sons near the rubbish bin in a disoriented manner. He then took them to his neighbour's house," he said in a statement.
"The boys stopped breathing several minutes later. One of the villagers then contacted the police."
Shariman said both boys are believed to have eaten food they found in the bins, however, their cause of deaths have yet to be confirmed
He added that the boys' remains are being transported from Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for post-mortem.
"For now, the case has been classified as sudden death. Further investigations are ongoing," he said.
It is understood that the brothers and their father did not have a home and lived together with their neighbour in Bukit Malut. The father fixes boats and does odd-jobs to get by.
In an update today, 14 February, Shariman said the 36-year-old father has been detained by the police to aid in investigations
New Straits Times reported that the father tested positive for drugs and is also being investigated under the Immigration Act for entering the country illegally.
He was detained also to be investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect and abandonment.
If found guilty, the charge carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM20,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or both.
