A newborn baby was found alive in a sanitary bin in a toilet at an international airport in Malaysia, leading to the arrest of a man and a woman.
Police arrested a 23-year-old Malaysian woman and a 22-year-old man from Myanmar in connection with the case, according to South-West district police chief Anuwal Ab Wahab.
The baby was found by a member of the cleaning staff after they heard cries coming from a sanitary bin in a toilet designated for people with disabilities on Monday.
The baby was taken to hospital for treatment, Mr Wahab said, adding that an investigation had been launched.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from the airport, which led to the woman’s arrest at Bukit Jambul Complex, a shopping mall near Penang International Airport, Mr Anuwal said on Tuesday.
“Further investigations led to the arrest of a 22-year-old Myanmar national who works as a security guard,” he said.
The man was detained to assist with the investigation and was also found to be unable to produce valid travel documents, he added.
The case is being investigated under laws relating to the abandonment of a child under 12 by a parent or person having care of the child.
“Further investigations are ongoing to determine the involvement of and connection between the individuals detained and the incident,” Mr Wahab said.
According to Free Malaysia Today, the baby appeared to have been abandoned shortly after birth, as the placenta and umbilical cord were still attached to the baby.
A video showing the baby inside the bin has since gone viral on Malaysian social media.
The incident is a reminder of a grim 2016 incident in which a newborn baby boy was found dead inside a sanitary bin in a toilet at Tampines MRT station in Singapore.
A cleaner discovered the baby in a red plastic bag. The case later went before a coroner, who recorded an open verdict because the cause of death could not be established. Investigators linked three Indonesian women to the abandonment, with one believed to be the mother.
Read MoreMalaysian state’s cash incentive for teenage marriages sparks backlash
Why southern Thailand has been rocked by over 50 coordinated arson attacks
Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding in latest bid to tackle choking haze
Indonesia police arrest 72 people suspected of starting forest and peatland fires
Police detain 15-year-old student in Thailand for firing shots at school
Maps show surge in Indonesian wildfires with people and orangutans choking to death
