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A FIVE-year-old boy tragically died after he was left unattended for nearly five hours inside a school van in Taman Bukit Indah, Johor, on Wednesday.
The child, a kindergarten pupil, was discovered unconscious in the vehicle at around noon, according to Iskandar Puteri District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner M Kumarasan.
“The boy had boarded the van from his home and arrived at the kindergarten in Taman Bukit Indah at approximately 7.30am. However, he was believed to have been forgotten inside the van after the driver dropped off the other children at the school,” said Kumarasan in a statement on Thursday.
Emergency services were called after the boy was found unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead, and his body was sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor Bahru for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Police have since arrested a 56-year-old local man, who was the driver of the school van, in the same neighbourhood at about 2.40pm on the day of the incident.
“Checks confirmed that the suspect has no prior criminal record, and urine tests returned negative for drugs,” said Kumarasan.
The suspect is currently being remanded for seven days until 7 May to assist with investigations under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect and abandonment of a child, which carries severe penalties upon conviction.
The case has sparked renewed concern over child safety and transportation protocols in Malaysia, particularly in the handling of young children by school van operators. - May 1, 2025