By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Jan 9 — The state government is calling for a thorough investigation into the death of a four-month-old baby boy at a daycare centre in Bandar Saujana Putra last week.
This includes a report from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) should there be any criminal element, said state executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari, who expressed regret over the incident.
“I am deeply saddened by this incident, but if there are elements of (criminality) or other concerns, we urge JKM to report it, and the police must investigate this matter,” she said when contacted.
Previously, Kuala Langat district police chief Supt Mohd Akmalrizal Radzi said a report was received from a doctor indicating that the baby was unresponsive when brought in by the caregiver.
He said the baby was pale, with bluish lips and feet, unresponsive pupils, and showing no signs of breathing upon arrival.
The baby was then sent to the Putrajaya Hospital and was pronounced dead at 5.05pm. The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2011.
Initial probe revealed that the premises were unlicensed, with the licence application yet to be approved.
Anfaal said safety issues at daycare centres have always been a focus of the state administration, which has established a special committee to streamline guidelines for registration processes.
“At the state level, we have discussed improvements to daycare registration processes. Additionally, in collaboration with JKM, we continuously monitor the operations of all daycare centres,” she said.
The councillor added that as of November last year, 980 daycare centres in Selangor were registered with JKM, while 135 were found to be operating without licenses.
As such, Anfaal urged unregistered operators to apply for grants of up to RM5,000 to help with their registration and to enable them to operate legally, including obtaining approvals from the Fire and Rescue Department and the local authorities.
“By registering, it helps daycare staff handle emergencies and other situations. This is essential to ensure the safety of the children under their care,” she said.
