Stolen car, missing mother, burial dispute: Key details in the Sungai Linggi tragedy
Burial delay add to tragedy of drowned siblings.
SHAH ALAM – An outing by the river turned into a complex criminal investigation when two siblings, aged eight and six, drowned after the car they were in slid into Sungai Linggi near Jambatan Tanjung Agas, Teluk Kemang.
The children’s father and his girlfriend have since been taken into police custody as authorities reclassified the case as a potential murder.
The Tragic Accident
On Thursday, a car carrying a woman and two children rolled into the Sungai Linggi river while reportedly parked with the engine off.
The father had exited the vehicle to smoke when the car suddenly began to move.
According to the Port Dickson Fire and Rescue Department, they received the emergency call at 11.44 am.
Eyewitnesses said the woman and children screamed for help as the car began to submerge.
The Water Rescue Team (PPDA) was activated to assist in the recovery. Tragically, the eight-year-old girl was pulled from a depth of three metres at 1.28pm, followed by her six-year-old brother at 1.47pm.
Both were declared dead at the scene despite resuscitation efforts. The car was later located overturned at a depth of four metres.
Port Dickson district police chief Superintendent Maslan Udin initially stated that the family had been in the area for two to three days for leisure and that a “technical fault” may have been the cause of the accident.
The case was initially classified under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which deals with reckless or dangerous driving.
Murder Probe and Arrests
By Sept 5, however, the investigation took a significant turn.
Police detained the 46-year-old father and his 41-year-old girlfriend after discovering inconsistencies in their statements.
The case is now being probed under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Both suspects were brought to the Seremban Magistrate’s Court, where a remand order was granted until Sept 11.
According to Maslan, preliminary checks revealed that the male suspect had 16 prior criminal records, including four unresolved cases.
The girlfriend had no criminal history and urine tests for both came back negative for drugs.
Authorities also clarified a number of critical details: the woman rescued from the submerged car was not the children’s biological mother but the father’s girlfriend.
Shockingly, the Nissan Teana involved in the drowning had been reported stolen in Nusa Bestari, Johor, in 2022.
Efforts are currently underway to locate the children’s biological mother, whose whereabouts remain unknown. It is also unclear whether the parents are legally married or divorced.
Burial Plans on Hold
As of Sept 6, neither the biological mother nor any family member had come forward to claim the children’s bodies, prompting two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to offer help with funeral arrangements.
Skuad Amal Rembau founder, Ibrahim Hamzah stated that his team was prepared to assist with the burial if needed, noting that a plot had been offered at Air Hitam Cemetery.
However, the burial remains on hold due to a dispute over the children’s religious status.
The father claimed the children were converts to Islam in Kelantan, but checks with the Kelantan Islamic Religious Department (JAHEIK) found no records of their conversion.
Similar checks with the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) also yielded no confirmation of Islamic registration.
To proceed with the burial, the children’s non-Muslim biological mother must submit a formal confirmation to resolve issues surrounding their religious identity and next-of-kin status.
Police Seek Information
Police are urging members of the public who may have any information related to the case to come forward and assist with the investigation.
Information can be directed to the Port Dickson district police headquarters at 06-647 2222, or to the investigating officer, Assistant Superintendent Husairin Che Hussin, at 012-965 4927.
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