JOHOR BARU • Malaysian police will look into the case of three siblings who were found locked in a rented room in Johor Baru.

Photos of the three children, aged one to six, who were left neglected by their parents in a dirty and smelly room in Larkin Perdana,went viral on social media.

The children, two girls and a boy, were believed to have eaten only rice with soya sauce for their meals and not have showered for days.

A Facebook post said that the children's father was supposed to look after them as their mother works in Gelang Patah.

The incident came to light after neighbours heard sounds coming from the rented room. Following the discovery, a team from the state Welfare Department and several police officers arrived at the scene and picked up the children.

Johor Baru welfare officer Normawarni Mahat said action will be taken under the Child Act 2001, as the young victims were left unsupervised by an adult.

State police chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said police can take action under Section 3 of the Child Act 2016. "We have yet to call the parents for questioning but we will make a report based on the viral posting on Facebook," he said to reporters yesterday.

Although no report has been lodged on the matter, Datuk Wan Ahmad said police would conduct a thorough probe on the serious issue.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK