KUALA LUMPUR: The father and step mom of five-year old Nur Zuliana Zaara Zulkifli, who is a victim of physical abuse were arrested in Kota Baru, Kelantan last night.

Kelantan police Chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim said the duo were picked up at a restaurant in Jalan Bayam to facilitate investigations into the abuse of the 5-year-old girl.

“The couple aged 40 and 25 were arrested at 9pm last night and we have obtained a remand order this morning,” he said.

Mazlan added that it is believed that both of them went into hiding at a neighbouring country when they realised the news was spreading.

“They fled to Thailand to avoid from being detected. However, after police have cooperated with the Thai counterparts to track them down, they came back to Kelantan,” he said at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman today.

The case will be investigated according to Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001, Mazlan added.Nur Zuliana or ‘Yaya’ was believed to have been the victim of physical abuse in the past three to six months.

Her poor state of health shocked her biological mother, Sana Abdul Malek, 28, who then lodged a report against the girl’s father and his wife.

Sana said her daughter had been living with her father and stepmother in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas for the past two years.

Medical report by the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, stated that Nur Zuliana suffered from broken ribs, pneumonia and trauma in the liver, bruises in the chest, stomach and back.

– http://www.nst.com.my