Singaporean arrested in Malaysia after video of wife beating adopted child goes viral

When her own mother could not afford to raise her, this Indonesian toddler was sent to live in Malaysia with a Singaporean man and his Malaysian wife.

But over the past six months of living in a new home, four-year-old Alia was allegedly subjected to daily beatings by her adoptive parents, Malaysian news outlet The Rakyat Post reported on July 23.  

A now-deleted TikTok video shared by user Aqiel on July 22 showed Alia crying with food in her mouth while her adoptive mother pressed a metal rod on her neck.

Taking to social media the next day, Aqiel, who works for the household, shared that he filmed the video "secretly" with his friends after noticing that the child was beaten almost every meal time for no reason.

"We couldn't take it anymore. We want some justice for Alia," the 20-year-old said in Malay, adding that he also lodged a police report against his employers.

With the video garnering over seven million views to date, netizens praised Aqiel for his bravery and efforts to raise awareness towards the young girl's plight. 

"Thank you for saving her. I'm praying she gets the justice that she deserves and the perpetrators get thrown behind bars," a netizen wrote, while others used the hashtag "#JusticeforAlia" as a show of support.

The child's adoptive parents — a 30-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife — were arrested in Selangor for child abuse, Malaysian police said on July 22.

"[The girl] was beaten with a hanger and broomstick, and burnt with a cigarette lighter," police chief Zaid Hassan told Malaysian media, adding that the couple also forced the girl to "swallow rice".

The man, who is a Singaporean, was also charged for overstaying, Malaysian news outlet Bernama reported on Tuesday (July 26).

In another incident of child abuse this year, a two-year-old Singaporean toddler was allegedly pinched by her kindergarten teacher in March.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, 43-year-old Feng Ying complained that her child returned home from My First Skool in Bukit Panjang with bruises on her face and body.

In a response to the allegation, NTUC First Campus told AsiaOne that they would be assisting with police investigations. 

READ ALSO: 3 teachers detained after viral video emerges of 2 toddlers with their hands tied behind their backs

chingshijie@asiaone.com