PETALING JAYA, March 12 — A medical officer testified in the Sessions Court today that clinical records and speech therapy assessments confirmed the late Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin suffered from severe receptive and expressive language delay.
Dr Nur Hanisah Abd Nasir, 37, from the Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) Department of the Sungai Buloh Hospital, said she did not handle Zayn's case directly but prepared the medical report based on available records.
“Therapy and training strategies were provided to the patient’s mother for home-based therapy.
“The last recorded treatment at the ORL Department was on October 29, 2019, while speech therapy was conducted on December 30, 2019," said the 23rd prosecution witness during the 12th day of the trial against Zayn's parents Ismanira Abdul Manaf and Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, both 30, for neglect.
Dr Hanisah, who has served at the ORL Department since 2016, said that on September 23, 2019, Zayn was taken to the ORL clinic for an ear infection in his right ear and was prescribed antibiotics.
“The patient was also observed to have a speech delay and had received treatment in Seremban (Negeri Sembilan), before moving to Selangor,” she said, adding that she was unsure of the previous test results.
On October 29, 2019, Dr Hanisah said the child underwent a hearing test at the ORL Clinic but attempts at ‘play audiometry’ and ‘Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA)’ was incomplete as he was uncooperative. No follow-up records were found.
“The patient was given an appointment for a hearing test and was advised to complete the antibiotic course. The patient was found to have passed the newborn hearing screening in 2017 at the Sungai Buloh Hospital,” she said.
On October 29, 2019, Zayn was brought to the ORL Clinic for a hearing test, which resulted in Tymp: Right Tymp A, Left Tymp As.
However, attempts to complete the 'play audiometry and VRA' tests were unsuccessful as the patient was uninterested and unable to follow instructions.
“As a result, a new appointment was scheduled for a repeat hearing test, but there is no subsequent record,” Dr Hanisah said.
When Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Nur Sabrina Zubairi asked what was meant by the patient being ‘uninterested’, she said that during the hearing test, instructions were given to Zayn, but he did not respond at all.
Meanwhile, Dr Harissa Husna Termizi, 31, who previously served at the ORL Department of the Selayang Hospital, said that on November 21, 2022, Zayn was referred to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic for a hearing examination due to speech delay.
“During the consultation, the patient’s mother said he had difficulty responding when his name was called, did not play with peers, had poor eye contact, had less than 10 meaningful words and was unable to form sentences.
“During the examination, the patient was active, had a healthy pink complexion, brief eye contact, could not sit still, walked on tiptoe, and did not respond when his name was called.
“A hearing test was conducted by an audiologist, with the Minimum Response Level recorded at 20 to 30 dB HL, but the test could not be fully completed because the patient was unable to focus.
"A follow-up appointment was scheduled for another test,” she said while reading her witness statement.
The 22nd prosecution witness said her testimony was based on medical case notes at the Selayang Hospital, where Zayn was examined by different doctors. Dr Harissa also confirmed that she had never personally met or examined the child.
When asked by Sabrina about the meaning of ‘pink’, Dr Harissa, who now works at a clinic in Ampang, explained that it referred to the patient being healthy, not pale, and active.
On June 13, 2024, Zaim and Ismanira pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court to a charge of neglecting their six-year-old autistic child in a manner likely to cause him physical injury, at a location around PJU Damansara Damai from 12pm on December 5 to 9.55pm on December 6, 2023.
The charge was filed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and is punishable under Section 31(1) of the same Act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, if convicted.
On December 6, 2023, Zayn's body was found in a stream near his home at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, after he was reported missing the previous day.
The child was believed to have been murdered, as a post-mortem examination revealed injuries to his neck and body, indicating signs of self-defence.
The trial before Judge Syahliza Warnoh continues tomorrow.
— Bernama
