A 36-year-old man has been arrested after his six-year-old son, who was initially reported missing in Johor, was found buried near a railway track in a forested area in Rompin, Negeri Sembilan.
His body was recovered over 200 kilometres from where the child was last seen.
According to Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof, the father was arrested by Johor police on 24 July, the same day he filed a missing persons report.
Following his interrogation, the suspect led investigators to the burial site.
“Jempol police received information regarding the discovery of the body in Rompin at about 4.30pm,” said Ahmad Dzaffir in a statement on Facebook.
False Report Lodged in Iskandar Puteri
The case began when the father lodged a police report at 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, 24 July 2025, at the Iskandar Puteri District Police Headquarters, claiming that his son had gone missing the previous evening, around 6:00 p.m.
He alleged that he had briefly left the child alone in a parked car in Taman Bukit Indah while he went to buy food and returned to find the boy missing, The Star reported.
Initially Investigated as Child Neglect
The case was first investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for suspected child neglect.
Authorities took the man into custody, placing him under a seven-day remand order that extends until 31 July 2025 to facilitate the investigation.
Remains Found in Rompin
Interrogation of the suspect eventually directed police to a burial site in Rompin, located within Negeri Sembilan’s Jempol district, where the boy’s body was discovered.
The body was recovered on Monday, 28 July.
“Based on information gathered during questioning, we believe the body is that of the missing child,” said police.
Post-Mortem: Child Strangled with Cable Tie
A post-mortem conducted at the Rembau Hospital Forensics Unit determined that the child died from compression to the neck, believed to have been inflicted using a cable tie.
“The exact motive is still under investigation, but initial findings suggest the suspect was experiencing marital issues and going through a divorce.”
He added that the suspect has been uncooperative during questioning.
Boy Identified Through Police Alert
The missing child was identified as M. Tishand, also known as Tishant A/L Munisammy, according to a missing persons alert issued by the Iskandar Puteri District Police on Facebook.
He was described as:
- Under 110 cm in height
- Weighing below 19 kg
- Dark skin, with a sharp nose
Tishant was last seen at a coffee shop in Taman Bukit Indah on the evening of Tuesday, 23 July 2025.
Case Reclassified as Murder
With the discovery of the body and post-mortem findings, the case has been reclassified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
If found guilty, the crime is punishable by a mandatory death sentence, or a prison term ranging from 30 to 40 years, along with whipping.
The father is also being investigated under:
- Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act (child neglect)
- Section 182 of the Penal Code (false reporting)
Neighbour Describes Family Tensions
In a report by NST, the family’s neighbour, Kamarudin Abdullah, 47, said he frequently heard loud arguments between the boy’s parents and the child crying in the months leading up to his disappearance.
“I’ve been their neighbour for about a year. I often heard the boy crying and loud arguments between his parents,” he said.
Kamarudin said he had not seen Tishant for more than a month before hearing news of the child’s disappearance. According to him, the parents had also stopped staying at the house regularly and would only visit separately.
A recent check of the family’s double-storey low-cost terrace house revealed it remains locked with no signs of occupancy.
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
Horrified Reporter Allegedly Steps on Missing Girl’s Body During Her Disappearance Coverage
Missing Family of Six Found Dead Inside Car Submerged in M’sian River
Missing Mother-of-Two Found Dead in Home, Partially Eaten by Pet Dogs
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