PETALING JAYA, Dec 18 — The usually lively compound of Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai here — especially during the school holidays — has gone quiet since the murder of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin on December 5.
Checks by Bernama found the playground area, parking lot, sidewalks and staircases in all the blocks looked deserted.
[caption id="attachment_338196" align="alignright" width="300"]
Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin, six, was found dead in a stream in Damansara Damai on the night of December 6, 2023, following a search-and-rescue operation by the police and members of the public, over 24 hours after he was first reported missing. — Picture via FACEBOOK/SARINA YUSOF[/caption]
According to resident and clinic medical assistant Wan Hakim Abdul Aziz, 28, most parents no longer allowed their children to play outside the house since the tragic incident.
"All the blocks are quiet now, but this block (Block R) feels the quietest because it is usually the most lively one," he said.
Meanwhile, nanny Rahmah Resap, 52, said since the incident, no more children were playing on the swings in the playground or youngsters hanging out there at night.
"Also, I noticed that if parents take their children to a nearby store, they will ensure their children walk in front. In the past, it did not even matter if the child walked behind them," he said.
Another resident, Mohd Helmi Abdullah, 59, concurred, saying the playground would usually be full during the school holidays.
"It is quiet now, as no one lets their children out; before, during the school holidays, it used to be lively with children playing here," he said.
The investigation into Zayn's murder, now in its 12th day, continued with a team from the police’s forensics unit seen coming in at 12.45pm and leaving about two hours later.
The six-year-old autistic child was reported missing on December 5 in Damansara Damai before being found dead near a stream, about 200 metres from his apartment block the next day.
— Bernama
