Mother in Malaysia forgets 2-year-old child in car for 9 hours, detained after his death
A two-year-old boy in Malaysia died after being unintentionally left inside a car for about nine hours when his mother forgot to send him to daycare before heading to work.
The child was later pronounced dead at hospital, while his mother was detained to assist with police investigations.
Source: Oriental Daily
Loud shouting heard when mother discovers child in car
According to the New Straits Times, the 35-year-old mother had placed her two-year-old son in a white Proton Saga on the morning of 27 Jan.
Police believe she forgot to drop him off at daycare and instead drove directly to her workplace, a nearby bank, at around 8am, leaving the child in the parked vehicle while she went to work.
It was only at about 5pm, when she finished work, that the mother realised her son was still inside the car.
China Press reported that loud cries were heard at the scene around that time, drawing the attention of staff from nearby shops.
Source: China Press
Police later received a call at around 6.15pm reporting an unconscious toddler inside a vehicle.
Medical personnel pronounced the boy dead after he was taken to hospital.
Source: The Star
Officers subsequently sealed off the area and dispersed members of the public who had gathered at the scene.
Source: New Straits Times
Autopsy finds no physical injuries
An autopsy conducted on 28 Jan found that the child had no physical injuries or damage to his internal organs. He also tested negative for Covid-19.
Police said the cause of death has, for now, been classified as undetermined, and further investigations are ongoing.
The mother, who was detained on the day of the incident, was released on police bail the following morning.
Authorities are investigating the case under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which relates to the abuse or neglect of a child.
Source: Bernama
The Negeri Sembilan police chief urged the public not to speculate on the case, warning that doing so could interfere with investigations.
He also reminded parents to remain vigilant about their children’s whereabouts, particularly when vehicles are involved.
Stress & changes in routine often cited in infant hyperthermia cases
A similar incident was reported in Malaysia on 20 Oct 2025, when a four-year-old girl died of heat stroke after being left in a car for several hours.
Cases of children dying from hyperthermia, or overheating, after being left in vehicles have been reported in many parts of the world.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning 2009 article by Gene Weingarten in The Washington Post examined the phenomenon, including insights from memory expert David Diamond.
“Our conscious mind prioritises things by importance, but on a cellular level, our memory does not. If you’re capable of forgetting your cellphone, you are potentially capable of forgetting your child,” he said.
Based on his study of infant deaths in parked vehicles, Mr Diamond noted that the quality of parental care prior to such incidents was often not a determining factor.
Instead, recurring factors frequently included high stress levels, sleep deprivation, and disruptions to routine, a combination that can lead to a fatal lapse in memory.
Also read: Mum in JB leaves 4-month-old baby in car to buy groceries, police alerted
Mum in JB leaves 4-month-old baby in car to buy groceries, police alerted
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Featured image adapted from The Star.
