MELAKA: Muhamad Aidil Asyraf Fadli, a 15-year-old boy with learning disability, has been reported missing in a forest, after going to look for a missing cow in Kampung Permatang Pasir, yesterday evening.
Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the search and rescue (SAR) operation also involved sniffer dogs from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) K9 Unit, but the search has yet to yield any leads.
“The K9 unit deployed to track his scent has not produced any positive results, and no clues have been found as to the victim’s whereabouts.
“In fact, all of the cattle under the boy’s care are found to be safe and accounted for,” he told reporters here today.
Dzulkhairi said there are no visible signs or clues to indicate the victim’s direction of movement, and the boy’s mobile phone is believed to have been switched off, further complicating tracking efforts.
“As of this evening, the search efforts are ongoing, including combing nearby rivers and ponds. The operation will continue as long as necessary,” he said.
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) public relations officer Deputy Superintendent II Mohd Hafidzatullah Rashid said search efforts for Muhamad Aidil Asyraf began shortly after receiving an emergency call around 11.54 pm last night.
“The initial search was carried out around the cow shed area with assistance from the police and local residents until 1.35 am and resumed at 7 am today,” he told reporters at the scene.
The SAR operation is led by Senior Fire Officer II Akhbar Abdol Karim, assisted by six firefighters from the Padang Temu Fire and Rescue Station.
Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, Siti Norehan Azhar, 38, said she realised that her second son out of six siblings, affectionately known as “Gemuk”, was missing when he did not return from his daily routine of tending to his uncle’s 13 cows.
Siti Norehan said she believes her son didn’t go far, as he is not the type to loiter or hang out with friends and usually keeps to himself.
“Usually, his friends are the ones who visit him while he tends to the cows. He has been helping with the livestock for three years now, and has never gone missing like this before,” she said.
