A five-year-old Malaysian boy died after he was trapped in a locked school van in Taman Bukit Indah, Johor, on Wednesday (April 30).

According to Malaysian publication Harian Metro, the boy was found unconscious at 12pm.

As he was found near the door of the vehicle, according to New Straits Times, his father, Teo Jia, 37, believes the preschooler had tried to get out but found that he couldn't.

Iskandar Puteri district police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Kumarasan confirmed that the driver of the school van, a 56-year-old man, has been arrested and will be remanded for seven days to assist with investigations.

Teo, who works in Singapore, had alleged in reports that his son, Yu Zie, an only child, had died due to the negligence of the driver as well as the kindergarten. 

He was quoted by New Straits Times as saying that the van driver should have "properly checked and ensured that all the children had exited before locking the van or going home".

Of the kindergarten, he added: "They should have checked the attendance… If a child is absent, they should contact the family to ask where the child is."

Teo told NST that Yu Zie was picked up by the van from their home in Taman Bukit Indah at about 7.15am and the boy should have arrived an hour later as the school is 2km away.

He said that a teacher had called him at around 1pm when Yu Zie was in critical condition, and he arrived to see his son "lying motionless, weak, and not breathing".

According to Teo, after the children are dropped off at the kindergarten, the school van would usually be parked nearby before the driver would ride his motorcycle back home. 

"My son might have fallen asleep at that time, and the driver probably didn't notice him," he said.

He added that he hopes the police will conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action to prevent a similar tragedy.

syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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