KUALA LUMPUR – Police have obtained new information in the murder of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin – a video showing his mother, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, walking with him and his 6-year-old brother.
Sungai Buloh police chief, Supt Mohd Hafiz Muhammad Nor, yesterday said that Ismanira lodged a police report after receiving a TikTok video link via WhatsApp, fearing for her family’s safety, Bernama reported.
“The one-minute video shows the complainant holding the hands of Zayn Rayyan and his brother, walking towards the motorcycle parking area at Block R, Idaman Apartment, Damansara Damai.
“She believes the footage was recorded by an unidentified individual from an upper-floor unit facing Block R,” he said in a statement.
Ismanira suspects the recording was intentional, as Zayn Rayyan was found dead shortly after, about 200m from where the video was captured.
Mohd Hafiz urged the public to avoid speculation that could interfere with the investigation.
Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, a housewife testified at the Petaling Jaya sessions court that her 10-year-old son had chased Zayn Rayyan near their apartment complex on the day the autistic boy was reported missing on December 5, 2023.
Norzaini Zainol, 39, a neighbour of Zayn Rayyan’s parents, said she only realised this after her son told her, “Mama, I chased a boy,” while waiting for his school van.
She also testified that she saw Ismanira walking with Zayn Rayyan towards the playground at 12.05pm after parking her motorcycle.
Another neighbour, Rashidah Rajali, 37 – who testified that she saw Ismanira twice that day at 12.15pm and 12.35pm, wearing different outfits each time – denied having poor memory when she gave her testimony.
However, defence counsel Haresh Mahadevan, suggested that if the change of clothing were a fact, she would have mentioned it during interviews with Sinar Harian and Scoop.
On June 13 last year, Ismanira and her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, pleaded not guilty to neglecting their autistic son in a manner likely to cause physical harm. They were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a fine of up to RM50,000, imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both.
Zayn Rayyan was reported missing on December 5, 2023. His body was found in a stream near his home the next day. An autopsy revealed injuries consistent with self-defence. – March 12, 2025