JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A 12-year-old boy has been rescued after suffering physical abuse for about two years allegedly by his stepfather and Indonesian mother.

It is learnt that a neighbour saw the victim with blood coming out from the back of his shirt.

The boy had bruises all over his body, with cuts on his back and a mark on his left cheek, believed to have been caused by constant abuse.

The neighbour was shocked to see the amount of injuries on the boy and lodged a police report on Tuesday (Feb 19).

Johor Baru (South) OCPD ACP Shahurinain Jais said that the two suspects, aged 29 and 38, were arrested at their home in Taman Bayu Puteri on the same day following the report made against the parents.

"The suspects have two children of their own between the ages of one and three, while the victim is the biological son of the mother."

"The stepfather, who is a former auxiliary policeman, works as a bus driver in Singapore while the mother sells food online," he said in a statement here on Wednesday.

He added that police also seized several items from the suspects' house, including a black-coloured microphone wire, a rotan and a green-coloured hanger believed to have been used to abuse the victim.

ACP Shahurinain said checks on the victim, who is being treated at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA), found that he had never been enrolled to a school.

"The victim does not have any documentation since he was born, which is why he never went to school," he said, adding that the boy is now under the care of the Welfare Department.

ACP Shahurinain said the suspects were remanded until Tuesday to assist with the ongoing investigations under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

He also urged those with information relating to the case to contact the state police hotline or lodge a report at the nearest police station.