Police have not ruled out the possibility of elements of abuse in the death of a two-year-old girl in a rented room in Jalan Ros, Segamat yesterday.

Segamat District Police Chief Supt Raub Selamat said, based on initial information, there were over 15 bruises on the child’s body including on her chest, head, back and legs.            

"However, a detailed investigation on the matter is still on-going despite the old bruise marks, believed to have been caused by beatings.            

"The deceased victim's brother, a slow learner, admitted to beating his sister but it could not be determined since when," he told reporters when met at Segamat District Police Headquarters (IPD) here today.            

Raub said the victim's mother had two previous records involving drugs and theft.     

He added that the child's body had been sent to the Malacca Hospital for a post-mortem.           

Yesterday, the victim was found dead with some bruises by her mother in their rented unit in a three-storey shophouse at about 1am.            

The 42-year-old single mother claimed to have told her 23-year-old son to look after the toddler before heading out to Segamat town.            

When the mother, an unemployed woman, returned home, she saw her daughter lying unconscious before asking for help from neighbours to contact the hospital.            

Earlier, the two suspects were remanded for seven days until July 16 to assist in investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code.            

The remand order was issued by the Lower Court Assistant Registrar Ahmad Shakib Ismail at the Magistrate's Court of Segamat at 4.30pm.

- Bernama