29-3-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) In a recent incident at a supermarket in Klang, two foreign workers were apprehended on charges of attempting to kidnap a one-year-old child. The incident unfolded as the child and her mother were riding an escalator, with the foreign workers positioned behind them. According to witnesses, one of the workers unexpectedly lifted the little girl, causing the mother to panic and swiftly reclaim her child. Promptly detained by members of the public, the duo’s escape was thwarted, and they were subsequently handed over to the local authorities. However, questions have emerged surrounding the veracity of the alleged kidnapping attempt. Shedding light on the incident, Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan addressed the media in a press conference.
According to Khan, it was, in fact, a case of misunderstanding, as the foreign workers from Nepal were acting out of concern for the child’s safety. Khan further disclosed that the mother had permitted her child to ascend a faulty escalator. “Our investigation has revealed that this incident does not constitute a kidnapping or attempted kidnapping case. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, we observed the incident from two different angles. When the Nepalese workers arrived at the supermarket, where the one-year-old child and her mother were present, the escalator leading to the upper floor was out of order,” Khan explained.
He continued, “Simultaneously, these two Nepalese individuals, who possess legal work permits in Malaysia, were also intending to ascend to the upper floor. They both work at a nearby company and frequently visit the supermarket to purchase their daily essentials. Upon noticing the child’s difficulty in traversing the faulty escalator, they attempted to assist her by lifting her without informing her mother.” Despite promptly returning the child to her mother upon witnessing her distress, the mother mistakenly interpreted the situation as an attempted kidnapping, resulting in the subsequent arrest of the foreign workers.
The police investigation further revealed no indications of premeditation for a kidnapping attempt, as no waiting vehicles or escape plans were discovered involving the Nepalese individuals. Khan added, “Perhaps in their home country, it is customary to pick up children without explicit parental permission.”
Subsequently, many Malaysians have criticized the mother for both allowing her child to navigate a defective escalator and accusing the foreign workers of attempting to abduct her daughter. While the desire to offer assistance is understandable, it is reasonable to suggest that the foreign workers should have engaged the child’s mother in conversation before intervening physically.
Info yang di terima, Cubaan warga asing menculik budak dekat NSK Klang Sentral.
Ada sapa boleh sahkan?
Kalau dia culik budak dia buat apa? Jual organ ke? Jadikan sindikit mengemis? pic.twitter.com/ZwRS69SK0R
— MALAYSIA MOST VIRAL (@MALAYSIAVIRALLL) March 26, 2024
