SANDAKAN, July 14 — The body of a newborn baby boy with the umbilical cord still attached was found abandoned nearby a garbage bin at Kampung Karamunting near here yesterday.

Sandakan district police chief ACP Azhar Mohd Hamin said a passerby who discovered the body informed the police at 9.35pm.

He said a team from the Sandakan Criminal Investigation Division arrived at the scene to find the body next to a garbage bin in front of a garage, near the Sekolah Kebangsaan Karamunting.

"The body was found wrapped in a bright-coloured flowery plastic bag,” he said here today.

He said from the maggot-infested body it was believed the baby had died several days ago.

According to him, the body which weighed 1.1kg was sent to the Duchess of Kent Sandakan Hospital for post-mortem.

The case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code and anyone with information is urged to come forward to assist investigation into the case. — Bernama