Father held over chaining and starving his children

Police have arrested a father of two from Raja Uda for chaining his 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter in the bathroom and starving them for being disobedient.
Luckily, the children's cries were heard by a neighbour and they were rescued by the authorities.
Seberang Perai Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner Zulkifli Alias said the man was arrested at a double-storey shoplot in Taman Mawar after his children were rescued at 8.40pm on Wednesday.

Zulkifli said based on initial investigations, the man, in his 40s, had chained the two children in the bathroom before leaving for work about 3pm.
The individual, who works as a delivery man had chained the children to teach them a lesson for being disobedient.
His Thai wife had walked out on him and the family about a month ago.
Zulkifli said the children's cries were heard by a neighbour who alerted the neighbourhood's Volunteer Patrol Team members who then contacted the police and the Welfare Department.
"The girl told the neighbour that their father had chained them in the bathroom and they were starving," Zulkifli said.
He said the authorities forced open the house door to free the children.
The rescuers gave the children some food before sending them to the Seberang Jaya Hospital where they have been warded for observation.
Zulkifli said there were no signs that the children were physically abused but police have obtained a four-day remand order beginning yesterday against the father to facilitate investigations under the Children Act 2001.
Meanwhile, the state Health, Environment and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, who was present during the rescue operation, said the Welfare Department had also started its own investigations.
He said pending the results of the investigations, the siblings would be placed under the care of the department and the parents would be ordered to attend counselling.