KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Mahmud Abdul Jumaat has confirmed that he is still representing six-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin’s mother, who is in police remand to assist in the investigation into the murder of her autistic son.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Mahmud clarified that his decision was based on considerations that were made after he met the family.
Initiation and Clarification
He said that he received a call from Zayn Rayyan’s paternal family at 11 pm on the night of May 31 after the arrest of the couple (Zaim and Isma) following which they were to be presented at the Petaling Jaya court the next day for a remand application.
“I want to stress that this was an initiative by Zayn Rayyan’s paternal family, not an NGO endeavour. However, I’m uncertain how the other story emerged.”
Appointment Letter and Intentions
“On the matter of an official appointment letter, with the purest of intentions, I wanted to help because I felt pity for them. They had not only lost their child but were also facing remand as suspects, a considerable ordeal,” he said.
He didn’t think the appointment would become a point of contention with Zayn Rayyan’s father’s family, because criminal cases do not require an official appointment letter from a solicitor.
If the suspect or the representative of their family accepts the appointment of a solicitor, this should be sufficient.
Authorized Representation
Further, before his appearance in court, he was authorized by the victim’s parents to assume this responsibility and argue against the remand.
He confirmed his presence that day in court since he was the solicitor summoned by the family.
Questioning the Family’s Decision
He questioned the family’s decision to summon him to court in the remand case, although he claimed no appointment had been made.
“On Sunday (June 2), Zayn Rayyan’s grandfather wanted to meet me since he was not in court for the remand. Therefore, I sincerely invited them to meet and discuss the matter in my office on Monday (June 3), even though it was a public holiday.
“I sacrificed my time to facilitate their affairs, but after that meeting, the next day, I decided not to represent them for specific reasons.”
Allegations and Defamation
“Suddenly, I was confronted with allegations that I had never been appointed as the solicitor for Zayn Rayyan’s parents. I consider this a defamation!”
“Why was I in court that day? Why did they contact me that night to come to court, and why did they visit my office that day?” he queried.
Interaction with Zaim’s Family
Furthermore, Zaim’s family, particularly his mother, had been in contact with him during this period and had sought his advice and counsel as a lawyer.
However, he explained that Zayn Rayyan’s grandfather contacted him via WhatsApp on Sunday to apologize for the issue.
Hopes for Resolution
He now hopes that the problem of appointing a lawyer will no longer arise.
However, he thanked Zayn Rayyan’s maternal family for clarifying that his legal team had helped the family since the beginning of the case.
“I think we have discussed the solicitor appointment issue enough. Let’s hope we can all continue to pray for justice for the soul of Zayn Rayyan.”
“My apologies to all who awaited this explanation. Like all Malaysians, I too seek justice for Zayn Rayyan, who was murdered and cruelly tortured,” he concluded.
On June 4, it was reported that Mahmud, of the law firm Emir Mahmud & Co., had confirmed that he was no longer representing the couple.
He explained that the decision to no longer represent both parents was based on certain factors.
That same day, solicitor Fahmi Abd Moin confirmed his appointment as the couple’s representative.
On June 7, the suspect’s father, Zahari Mohd Reba, 56, said Mahmud’s appointment was initiated by an NGO.
Zayn Rayyan Murder: Parents’ Arrest
The remand of Zayn’s parents was extended last week for another six days, until June 13.
Fahmi Abd Moin, lawyer for Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, said Magistrate Aina Mohamad Kamal accepted the police’s request to extend the couple’s remand.
Police arrested Zayn’s parents, both 28, on May 31 and obtained a seven-day remand from June 1 to support the ongoing investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Zayn Rayyan’s Murder Case
Six-year-old Zayn Rayyan who had autism was found dead along a river about 200m from his home in Damansara Damai, Petaling Jaya, around 10pm on December 6.
A member of a search party formed to find the boy discovered his body. The child reportedly went missing on the afternoon of December 5.
Police had initially suspected that the child had drowned. However, the investigation was reclassified as murder after the post-mortem report revealed that he was strangled.
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