SEREMBAN: A picture of a boy being abducted by a man near a bus stand here, went viral today, provoking fears among residents of a possible kidnapping attempt.
Seremban district police chief Assistant Commissioner Muhamad Zaki Harun however quickly denied the speculation.
“It wasn’t a kidnap case, but a marital problem which involved the small boy,” he said.
In the picture, which was widely circulated on Facebook today, a man was seen forcefully taking away a boy near the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital (TJH) today.
“It was believed that a dispute broke out between the boy’s parents. The wife decided to return to her hometown in Felda Labu, with her two-year-old son.
"The husband however, refused because he wanted to stay in Seremban to look for a job,” said Muhammad Zaki.
“The husband then snatched the boy from his wife and ran towards TJH. His wife tried to give chase and screamed for help,” he said.
Muhammad Zaki said a security guard at the hospital then managed to save the boy and returned him to his mother.
“The man managed to flee from the scene. The wife lodged a police report today and admitted that her husband was the stepfather to her son. She also claimed that her husband had hit her son before,” he said.
The boy was brought for a medical check-up to confirm his mother’s allegation.
“The result showed old bruises on the boy’s body. Further investigation is still ongoing,” he said.
Muhammad Zaki said the woman is currently seeking a divorce from her husband at the Syariah court.
“The case will be investigated under Section 31 (1)(a) the Child Act 2001. We are still trying to track down the man for investigation,” he said.
Muhammad Zaki also urged the netizens to be careful before sharing any information on the social media to avoid misunderstanding and sparking fear among the public.