2007 07: Three-year-old boy is missing

The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday July 10, 2007

PENANG: Police are looking for a three-year-old boy who is believed to have been abducted by a teenage girl at a steamboat restaurant in Kelawei Road here.

Restaurant owner David Chua, 64, said he last saw his son, How Xian, playing with two boys, aged seven and 11, who were brought here by the teenager, at about 8.20pm yesterday.

He said his wife, Liew Siew Chooi, 36, had chatted with the girl earlier.

“We were quite busy as the restaurant was full at the time and did not realise that he was missing until 10 minutes later,” he said when met at the scene last night.

Chua said when he and Liew started to ask other customers whether they had seen his only son, one of them told him that he saw him walking away with the teenager.

“Several of my workers and I immediately searched the Gurney Drive promenade and the Gurney Drive area. We gave up after about two hours and made a report at the Pulau Tikus police station.

“My wife actually heard the teenager asking my son to put on his shoes but did not think much about it. She only realised what she had heard after How Xian went missing.”

He said the teenager, who had short curly hair with blonde streaks, had actually been to his restaurant at least twice over the past year.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid, who confirmed the report, urged the public to call the police hotline (04-2282222) if they happened to hear any child crying non-stop.


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Missing boy found, teen arrested

The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday July 10, 2007


PENANG: Three-year-old How Xian, who was reported missing Monday night, has been found.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman.

How Xian was believed to have been abducted at a steamboat restaurant in Kelawei Road here.

Restaurant owner David Chua, 64, said he last saw his son playing with two boys, aged seven and 11, who were brought here by the woman, at about 8.20pm on Monday.

He said his wife, Liew Siew Chooi, 36, had chatted with the woman earlier.

“We were quite busy as the restaurant was full at the time and did not realise that he was missing until 10 minutes later,” he said when met at the scene last night.

Chua said when he and Liew started to ask other customers whether they had seen his only son, one of them told him that he saw him walking away with the woman.

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Released: Teen behind missing 3yr-old boy

The Star Online. News. Nation. Friday July 13, 2007

PENANG: The pregnant 18-year-old who was detained in connection with the wrongful restraint of three-year-old Chua How Xian has been released on police bail.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said the teenager, who was remanded for a week since her arrest on Monday, was released on Thursday.

ACP Azam said the teenager could be called up anytime as police were still investigating the case before handing the papers to the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) soon.

He said once the papers have been handed over, it would be up to the DPP on whether to take further action against the teenager.

On Monday, How Xian was playing with two other boys, aged seven and 11, at his father’s steamboat restaurant in Kelawei Road when he went missing at 8.20pm.