KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — A senior police officer testified that Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin’s mother was unable to answer key questions about how her son went missing near Block R, Apartment Idaman, on December 5, 2023.

According to the New Straits Times, ASP Nor Zaharuddin Sanip told the Sessions Court here that he questioned Ismanira Abdul Manaf while her statement was being recorded in a police patrol car on the night of the disappearance.

“I asked her how he had gone missing, what had happened, and what his interests were. She couldn’t answer,” Zaharuddin said during the trial.

Zaharuddin, who was previously the senior investigating officer for the Petaling Jaya distric police, also said that as the case was solely that of a missing child, there had not been efforts to identify suspects.

When cross-examined by defense lawyer Haresh Mahadevan, he also denied that he and another officer had been pressured by his superiors to rush the investigation.

Zaharuddin confirmed that he was aware of press conferences held by the Selangor police chief and the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department on the case, but said he did not pay these regular attention.

The case was initially classified as a missing person’s report, but was later reclassified as murder after post-mortem results revealed criminal elements.

Ismanira and her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, both pleaded not guilty to an amended charge of child neglect related to their six-year-old autistic son, which drew nationwide interest at the time.

As part of the investigation, police reportedly took blood samples from around 250 individuals, though Zaharuddin said he was unaware of any weapons being seized.