PETALING JAYA: In the tragic death of six-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin, his former babysitter, Auni Afiqah Abas, shared her fond memories of the gentle and obedient child.
Recalling the evening of the day he went missing, the 28-year-old Auni Afiqah Abas said she got a message from his mother telling her about his disappearance.
"I couldn't help her find Zayn Rayyan immediately because I had to take care of the other children. Later in the evening I went there and tried finding him but he was nowhere to be found.
"I called out his name as loud as I could while standing in the middle of Block R, but it was no use," she said.
Auni emphasised Zayn Rayyan's kind nature, noting that he was always obedient and never caused any trouble.
She expressed sadness over his absence, recounting the joy he brought to the house.
Auni and Zayn Rayyan's mother, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, were friends and course mates who graduated from the same university, both specialising in a course related to special needs children.
Auni said she was in the dark as to why anyone would harm him as the boy was a gentle child.
Highlighting Zayn Rayyan's attentiveness and ease of care, Auni mentioned that he rarely left home without his mother and wasn't an adventurous explorer.
"I had no problems taking care of him and he's easier to manage compared to the other children I babysit," she said.
She shared how he would hold his mother's hand when heading to the playground and exhibited similar behaviour with her children.
When asked about his ability to speak, Auni explained that while Zayn Rayyan didn't talk like ordinary children, he could utter simple words like "mommy" and "daddy" and make various noises