THE DNA samples from the charred remains found at Nusa Damai oil palm plantation on Thursday have been confirmed as that of 5-year-old Nurul Nadirah Abdullah, or Dirang.
Dirang has been missing for 13 days since March 1, after leaving her Seri Delima flats in Bandar Seri Alam here about 11am.
The remains were found about 9am in a 3.5m hole dug in the plantation, which was 3.5km away from the flats through a short-cut. The plantation is about 20km away from the main road.
Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin said the DNA matched with the victim's mother, Roselyn Alan, 25.
"The DNA samples were from bone fragments found at the scene. The Chemistry Department had matched the DNA samples to her mother's DNA," Roslan said, adding that the remains were at the mortuary at Sultan Aminah Hospital and would be released to the family today.
"The body is believed to have been set on fire at the plantation about five days ago, eight days after she went missing."
Roselyn had received a text message on March 8, after the remains were found, asking for a RM10,000 ransom for the safe return of her daughter.
The ransom demand had brought some relief to her, as she thought Dirang was still alive. It was on that day that Roselyn's DNA samples were taken.
A special task force headed by Johor CID chief Datuk Amer Awal and assisted by Federal police officers was set up to solve the case, which received wide news coverage with various quarters, including from the private sector, stepping in to circulate posters of the child in the hope of finding her.
To date police have arrested four suspects -- a couple who lives at a unit in the block, Dirang's biological father and another man.
Roslan said in the wake of the latest development, police had re-classified the case from missing person to murder.
One of the yellow slippers that Dirang was wearing was found near the site where the remains were found, while some eggs and instant noodles were found about 500 metres away.
Roselyn had reported her missing when Dirang failed to return after going to a grocery shop on the ground floor of the next block of flats to buy eggs and instant noddles.
After 30 minutes, when Dirang failed to return, Roselyn, who is in confinement after delivering a baby girl recently, sent her 6-year-old son, Mohd Hafiz Abdullah, to look for her. When he could not find her, she panicked and called her husband, Lima Medang, 25. They looked frantically for her but in vain. Additional reporting by Jassmine Shadiqe and Syed Umar Ariff
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