ALOR STAR: Residents of Kampung Kubang Panggas were shocked when they discovered an abandoned newborn beneath a bridge construction site near the village here today.
Mat Zuki Deris, 59, said he discovered the baby girl while returning from dropping his wife off at work in the city at 7.30am.
He said when he discovered the infant, she was completely clothed, wearing mittens and wrapped in a disposable diaper.
"I feel sad seeing the condition of the baby girl, she was crying, but all I could do was pat her gently to stop the crying and clean her up," he said when met today.
Zuki, who is an odd jobber, believed it was fate that led him to find the baby, as he chose to deviate from his usual route.
"Normally, I use the village road that locals take, but today, I felt compelled to go through this road to look at this unfinished bridge project. Little did I expect to find the baby," he added.
Mat Zuki said upon finding the baby, he promptly informed the other villagers before reporting the incident to the police.
"The infant stopped wailing after some locals fed her milk, most likely because she was hungry.
"I think the baby was left there early this morning at around dawn. There were bloodstains on the batik cloth covering her body," he added.
Mat Zuki said he was disappointed and saddened that the baby was left in a location that was exposed to stray dogs and other dangerous animals.
"If a baby had to be abandoned, she should have been left at the village mosque, which is not far away. I took a lot of pictures of the infant when we took her to the hospital because it was a heartbreaking story.
Meanwhile, Kota Star district police chief Ahmad Shukri Mat Akhir confirmed that they received a report and was investigations are ongoing.
