PETALING JAYA: The Sessions Court was told today that several WhatsApp messages, expressing frustration, were exchanged between two individuals linked to the late Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin before and on the day the autistic child was reported missing on Dec 5, 2023.
ASP Mohd Zaidi Abu Hassan, 43, an analyst from the Computer Crime Investigation Unit of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Forensic Laboratory, said messages such as ‘Zayn is missing’, ‘he ran off’, ‘up to him if he wants to live or die’, ‘I’m so tired of searching’, and ‘I’m really frustrated’ were sent around 12.00 pm on Dec 5, 2023.
In response to questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Sabrina Zubairi regarding several WhatsApp conversations dated June 20, 2023, Mohd Zaidi said the messages included ‘so stressed that I feel like killing someone’, ‘have beaten them all, one by one’, ‘I can’t even rest’, and ‘just beat them until you’re satisfied’.
“There were also two messages dated Oct 11, 2023, which read ‘so stressed with Zayn’ and ‘feel like killing myself’,” he testified on the 14th day of the trial involving Zayn Rayyan’s parents, Ismanira Abdul Manaf and Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, who are facing charges of neglecting their son.
The 25th prosecution witness, however, could not confirm the identity of the owner of the two mobile phone numbers.
Mohd Zaidi, a forensic expert with 18 years of experience, said that two mobile phones were seized during the investigation, namely an iPhone registered under Ismanira’s name via iCloud and a Huawei phone linked to a Google account under Zaim Ikhwan Zahari’s name.
Earlier, while reading his witness statement, Mohd Zaidi said that on June 4, 2024, he received a plastic bag containing two mobile phones, a Huawei and an iPhone, which were in good condition.
“The investigating officer requested an examination of the mobile phones to extract any deleted videos, messages, and pictures. The officer also sought to extract the contents of WhatsApp conversations from the marked mobile phones, specifically between B1 and B2 (both suspects) under the name ‘Baby Sayang’, dated June 20, 2023, Oct 11, 2023, Nov 20, 2023, Dec 1, 2023, and Dec 5, 2023.
“I conducted the analysis using the XRY – Mobile Data Forensic Phone Extraction & Recovery equipment for mobile phones. The method employed ensures that the case items remain in good condition,” he said.
On June 13, 2024, Zaim Ikhwan and Ismanira, both 30, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to a charge of neglecting their six-year-old autistic son in a manner likely to cause him physical harm between noon on Dec 5 and 9.55 pm on Dec 6, 2023, at Jalan PJU Damansara Damai.
The charge, framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and punishable under Section 31(1) of the same Act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
On Dec 6, 2023, Zayn Rayyan’s body was discovered in a stream near his home at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, a day after he was reported missing.
The child is believed to have been murdered, with a post-mortem revealing injuries to his neck and body consistent with self-defence wounds.
The trial before Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh continues tomorrow.
