PETALING JAYA, July 22 — Baby Nawal Iris Samsudin — who was left unattended in a car before her death — was a mere 500 metres from where her schoolteacher mother was having her meeting.

The Malay Mail visited the school in Subang Jaya yesterday and learnt that the area where Nor Zatusy Hazwa Abdul Rahim had parked her Perodua Myvi — with three-year-old Nawal sleeping inside — was a busy place during school hours.

Guards at SMK USJ4 said they were sad to hear the little girl had been left alone in the car for five hours and regretted not noticing her sleeping in the backseat.

Usually, there are 30 cars parked in the lots adjacent to the main school building, where the 32-year-old mother was having her meeting. The area is never patrolled.

The two guards had never seen the teacher bringing her daughter to school before and they were shocked to learn that Nawal was actually in the car. “I still remember on Thursday when I opened the gate for her. I waved at her and I thought she was driving alone as usual.

“If I knew she had brought her daughter and left her in the car for her meeting, I would have definitely told her to leave Nawal with me at the guard house and keep an eye on the girl for her,” he said.

On Thursday, Nawal suffocated after being left in the car between 11am and 5.30pm.

Nor Zatusy was supposed to have sent Nawal to a childcare centre before going to school. Unfortunately, Nor Zatusy had forgotten about Nawal — who was sleeping in the back seat — and drove straight to school after sending Nawal’s sibling to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.

When she returned to her car at 5.30pm, she was shocked to see Nawal in the car with her face already bluish. Nor Zatusy rushed her daughter to a nearby clinic where a doctor pronounced the child dead. A post-mortem confirmed Nawal died of heat stroke.

The case is being investigated under section 33 of the Child Act 2001 for leaving a child without reasonable supervision.

The offence carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or two years’ jail or both, if found guilty.

Meanwhile, Subang Jaya police chief ACP Yahaya Ramli said police had not summoned the girl’s parents as they were still traumatised. But police will record their statements soon.

The police visited the scene on Saturday to facilitate investigations and statement have been recorded from guards and staff at the school.