PUBLISHED ONSeptember 22, 2022 6:28 AMByMelissa Teo [UPDATED: SEPT 23, 5.03PM]
The Malaysian police have detained two foreign women, aged 42 and 50, to assist in investigations over a man's claims that his child was close to becoming a kidnap victim in Genting Highlands, reported The Star.
The women were detained at 11.30 am on Thursday (Sept 22), two days after the child's father made a police report.
The case is being investigated under Section 363/511 of the Penal Code for kidnapping which is punishable with a jail term of up to seven years or a fine.
Resorts World Genting is a familiar and popular holiday destination for Singaporeans, especially those with children drawn to the rides there.
For one fun-seeking family, their excursion at this tourist attraction was marred by an unsettling experience with two suspicious women who allegedly attempted to grab their child away.
In a TikTok video uploaded on Sept 19, the user, who goes by the name Alfitry_azmi52, shared that the incident took place while he and his friend's family were at the Skytropolis indoor theme park at Resorts World Genting.
"Be careful where you bring your children. Yesterday in Genting, it almost became a big deal," this Malaysian warned in his video captions.
At the start of the video, this TikToker said that he did not post the video to make it go viral or tarnish the reputation of Genting but to spread awareness to parents bringing their kids to this indoor theme park.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@alfitry_azmi52/video/7144944309127662874?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1[/embed]
The first clip shows two women standing near a mascot meet-and-greet area.
Alfitry_azmi52 explained that when he and his friend were on a roller-coaster ride, his friend's wife stayed behind to take care of their son and belongings.
While waiting for the duo to return, she said she was approached by the two women, who appeared to be in a hurry.
The women then allegedly grabbed the child's hand before running away.
Upon witnessing this, his friend got off the roller-coaster ride to help his wife get back their child. Alfitry_azmi52 posted that he suspects that the women had even attempted to cast a spell on his friend's wife.
As there were no security guards in the theme park, they ended up seeking help from the nearby casino's security guards.
The women were then escorted out of the theme park for questioning. Alfitry_azmi52 posted that one of the women is from Indonesia while the other is from Pakistan.
According to a Facebook post by the police uploaded on the same day (Sept 19), Bentong police chief Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar said that the theme park's security had lodged a report at about 8.16 pm on Monday regarding the viral video.
"The Bentong Police also confirmed that there has been no report lodged by the involved parties yet," Zaiham said, adding that they will record the user's statement to assist in the investigation, reported the New Straits Times.
He also urged the public not to speculate on the matter and allow the police to conduct their investigation.
While Resorts World Genting did not directly address the issue, they posted a tweet on Sept 21 saying that guests should "beware of fake news and disinformation" that they've heard about their holiday destination.
In a separate TikTok posted a day later on Sept 21, Alfitry_azmi52 said the case was resolved at the police station and they will be leaving everything to the police.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@alfitry_azmi52/video/7145656103487933722?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1[/embed]
"Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and understood the situation," he said while thanking God.
As of the time of writing, the TikTok has garnered over 4.5 million views and 6,900 comments.
One netizen posed a valid question: Why didn't the theme park have any police?
Others also thanked Alfitry_azmi52 for spreading awareness about the incident.
Back in 2019, there was another alleged kidnapping case at City Square Mall in JB where a 35-year-old man tried to take away a three-year-old girl from her family.
Despite her family's rejection, he had claimed he was the father of the child and stalked them until the family called the police.
After a public tip-off, the suspect was caught.
According to the police, the suspect had only intended to kidnap the toddler to raise and care for as his own and was not involved in any child abduction activities or syndicates.
melissateo@asiaone.com