KUALA LUMPUR: Police will collaborate with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate the purported dissemination of investigation details linked to the murder of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin on social media platforms yesterday.
Bukit Aman's federal police Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said disseminating unverified information was an extremely irresponsible act.
He said the police would contact MCMC to block the dissemination of inaccurate information that could potentially disrupt the proceedings of the trial into the murder of the autistic boy.
"I want to stress again that all matters related to this investigation should come from official sources.
"This is an irresponsible act because it may interfere with the course of the trial.
"It can indeed disrupt the course of the trial and, in the end, we will not get justice for Zayn Rayyan," he told a special press conference in Bukit Aman, here, today.
Shuhaily added that the spread of such irresponsible information would not only affect the trial but also affect the work of the prosecution, the defence lawyers and Zayn Rayyan's family.
"We will investigate thoroughly to the root, to identify the party that spread the information.
"I will not hesitate to charge the party involved because all the hard work of the members (of the investigation team) in investigating the case could be undermined by this incident," he said.
He said that he would contact the MCMC to get help in the investigation, including taking down the content that was uploaded on an account on Telegram.
Meanwhile, commenting on Zayn Rayyan's younger brother who is currently under the care of the Social Welfare Department, Shuhaily said; "I believe that the Welfare Department's action was based on the department's moral and legal responsibility to do so.
"It may be as a result of them deciding that they must take custody of the second child of the couple in question as they have been charged under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001," he said.
Shuhaily insisted that the investigation involving Zayn Rayyan's case according to Section 302 of the Penal Code had been completed.
He, however, did not rule out continuing the investigation according to the section if there was a need for a trial.
"As I said yesterday, the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code has ended with the charge made under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act.
"However, should there be revelations (further evidence) that lead to Section 302 of the Penal Code during the trial, the deputy public prosecutor can instruct us and we will investigate again (according to Section 302 of the Penal Code)," he said.
Shuhaily said this when asked to comment on the statement by lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin, who yesterday said that investigations into the tragic murder of Zayn Rayyan would continue.
This is despite the parents being charged under the Child Act. Earlier, the parents of the autistic boy were charged at the Sessions Court with neglect of their 6-year-old son which may have caused him physical injuries last year.
The couple Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, both aged 29, said they understood the charge and pleaded not guilty before judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh.
The charge read that they had, as persons having the care of Zayn Rayyan, neglected him in a manner likely to cause him physical injury.
They committed the offence from 12pm on Dec 5 until about 9.55pm on Dec 6 around the area of Jalan PJU 10/1 in Damansara Damai.
The charge was under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, and punishable under Section 31(1) of the same Act read with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, they face a maximum fine of RM50,000 or jail of not more than 20 years or both.
