PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has submitted the full post-mortem results on the death of tahfiz school pupil Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi to the police last week and the decision whether to inform the parents was up to the police, said its Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.
"In the event that the case does not involve police investigation, we would have informed the boy's parents.
"But because it is a police case, we have given all our findings to the authorities and its up to them to inform the parents," he told reporters at the ministry's Hari Raya Open House today.
Yesterday, Thaqif's mother Felda Wani Ahmad, 40, expressed shock that no one informed the family that her son had died of leptospirosis (rat urine disease) as suggested in the latest post-mortem report.
She said she only knew about the outcome when informed by a reporter who wanted to get her reaction on the latest development.
She was also reported that she would seek legal advice on the matter.
In response to that, Dr Subramaniam said it was the parents' rights if they decided to take legal action against the ministry.
"Our findings of the post-mortem was scientifically-based and we followed every rules based on the police investigation.
"Whatever information from the post-mortem will become evidence in court. Therefore, we can't release such information to the public. Only the police could do that," he added.
However, Dr Subramaniam said Thaqif's parents were welcome to discuss the matter with the Ministry.
"We are willing to give them any explanation they need." he added.
Following the post mortem result, the Ministry said it would investigate the cause of the leptospirosis infection at the school, Thaqif's home and the surrounding areas.
Eleven-year-old Thaqif was reportedly beaten with a rubber hose by his school’s assistant warden for making noise at a surau. He was warded after experiencing excruciating pain in his legs on April 17.
His legs were subsequently amputated on April 21, after which he slipped into a coma. Thaqif died at the Sultan Ismail Hospital on April 26.