Post-mortem may hold vital information on murdered 11-year-old girl in Malaysia

KUANTAN (Malaysia) — A post-mortem on the body of a 11-year-old girl who was found in an oil palm plantation in Kampung Tanjung Medang Hilir, Pekan, on Saturday (Feb 9) will shed light on allegations that she could be a victim of an organ trade syndicate.

State Criminal Investigation Department chief Othman Nanyan said a post-mortem will be conducted at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) on Monday to determine the child’s cause of death.

He said police received a report about the discovery of a body believed to be the remains of a young girl near some bushes about 4.25pm on Saturday.

“The body was found not far from an oil palm plantation and about 200 metres from the Pekan-Paloh Hinai main road. The area where the body was found is surrounded by bushes and is quite isolated.

“The body was found lying face down and we have sent the remains to HTAA’s Forensics department for post mortem. Policemen did not find any weapons in the area,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

Earlier, the discovery of a tied-up, mutilated body of an 11-year-old girl who has been identified as Siti Masyitah Ibrahim by her parents at an oil palm plantation at Kampung Tanjung Medang Hilir on Saturday, had shocked the entire village.

Siti Masyitah who had been missing since Jan 30, had been found decapitated with some of her internal organs missing.

Her mother Zaleha Abdullah, 35, said that although her daughter’s body was decomposed she could identify the blue dress which Siti Masyitah was wearing on the day she disappeared.

While her family believed that Siti Masyitah might have been a victim of human organ trade syndicate as her hands and legs were tied, police are waiting for the outcome of the post-mortem tomorrow (Monday).

Meanwhile, Pekan district police chief Superintendent Amran Sidek said further updates on the girl’s death would be available after the post mortem tomorrow.

“I have received information on the case but I cannot comment on the cause of death. Let’s wait for the forensics report,” he said.

Meanwhile, a police source said they were investigating various angles and the post-mortem results would be crucial to determine if the missing organs had been eaten by wild animals or harvested by an organ trade syndicate, or if the victim was raped, and how many days earlier the victim had been murdered.

Villagers had also claimed that the victim might have been killed elsewhere before her body was dumped in the plantation as they had previously searched the area but did not find the body. NEW STRAITS TIMES