MANJUNG: Manjung district Social Welfare Department (JKM) is seeking public help to find relatives of an abandoned male infant.
The newborn, with the umbilical cord still attached, was found in a bag beside a drain behind a shop in Ayer Tawar on Nov 25.
JKM's officer, Nor Amelia Ali, said the baby, abandoned without any identification documents, is believed to be around 10 days old and is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Seri Manjung Hospital.
She said that the public's cooperation in identifying the biological mother is crucial for facilitating the placement of the baby, named Abu Ubaidah, for his well-being.
"The victim, in good health, was rescued under Section 17(1)(e)(ii) of the Child Act 2001 and is undergoing examination and treatment at the hospital.
"The police have also conducted searches for suspects at all health clinics around Ayer Tawar, but so far, no information has been obtained.
"We request the cooperation of anyone who recognizes the baby's mother or relatives to contact Manjung JKM at 05-6883110 immediately," she said at a media briefing.
Nor Amelia said the JKM examination results also suggest that the baby is likely of Malay descent.
"For now, we ask the mother or relatives to come forward for placement purposes. JKM will provide three months of care for the baby.
"If there are no relatives, JKM will obtain a court order for the placement of the baby in the JKM institution or transfer the custody to a suitable and eligible foster family," she added.
Earlier reports stated that a 45-year-old man discovered the newborn, still attached to the umbilical cord and wrapped in a towel, around 8:15pm on Nov 25 before reporting the incident to the police.
Manjung district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohamed Nordin Abdullah, mentioned that the case is being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code for parents responsible for caring for children under the age of 12, exposing and abandoning the child with intent.
ENDS