Farmer surrenders to police, says poisoned crackers hung too high for kids to reach

A FARMER has turned himself in connection with the case of a deadly poisoning of a toddler, Berita Harian reports.

The man, identified as Am, said the poisoned crackers that the toddler and his brother had eaten had been hung too high up for them to reach.

"It is quite impossible that children could have reached the crackers mixed with poison and hung at a height of more than 1.2 metres,” he said.

"There are only two possibilities, either an adult or a monkey picked it up and it fell somewhere else.

A three-year-old died and his younger brother is in critical condition after eating the crackers.

Am said he was informed by his younger brother that the poisoned crackers were placed near the forest for monkeys.

"My brother also told me that he put about five packages of snacks mixed with rat poison on the garden fence and that three packages are believed to have been taken by monkeys while one is missing and the other is still there," he said in Kampung Banggol Berangan, Baling, last night.

The farmer, who is related to the two children, was present at the funeral of Muhammad Akil Syauqi in Kampung Banggol Berangan.

Akil died while being treated at the Penang Hospital while his brother, Muhammad Luth Syauqi is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.

It was earlier reported that the crackers in a packet were hanging from a garden fence near the boys’ home.

Police said the 25-year-old mother rushed them to the Malau Health Clinic and then to Kulim Hospital after she saw them vomiting.

Am said the rat poison, which was from China, was also used by other farmers in the area.

The unregistered poison is sold in shops in Kulim and online.

"This poison is cheap, RM3 per packet," he said.

He said his younger brother, who is also a farmer, was arrested when he surrendered himself at the Kulim police station yesterday.

Am said he had taken Akil and Luth to the clinice to seek treatment on the day of the incident.

"The mother ran to ask for help and my mother and I helped as much as we could. We wish the best for the mother," he added. – July 11, 2024