Baby and a Note Left at a Nasi Uduk Cart in Pasar Minggu
A two-day-old baby girl named Ameera Ramadhani is believed to have been left by her older brother, Zidan (12), at a nasi uduk cart in front of a resident’s house on Jalan Pejaten Raya RT 01/02, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on Tuesday afternoon (3/3), after the mother died during childbirth.
A note written by Zidan reads: ‘Assalamualaikum Ibu/Bapak yang menemukan adik saya. Saya Zidan ingin minta tolong untuk merawat adik saya karena ibu saya meninggal saat melahirkan.’ In the letter, the brother asks that his sister be treated as if she were his own child, because he will not be able to see her again after the mother’s death and does not want her future to be like his.
‘Tolong anggap seperti anak sendiri karena saya tidak akan menemukan atau mengunjunginya dia lagi. Saya tidak mau masa depan dia seperti saya. Terima kasih,’ he said.
Pasar Minggu Police Station chief Kompol Anggiat Sinambela said the baby was found on Tuesday afternoon at 17:30 WIB and was reported to the police at 17:43 WIB. After receiving the information, Pasar Minggu Police personnel went to the scene and confirmed the baby’s condition with witnesses.
‘Witness Dinda and witness Marlinah reported that they found a baby girl inside a shopping bag in a nasi uduk cart,’ Anggiat stated.
The baby was wearing blue bear-patterned clothing and wrapped in a white blanket. In the bag were other items including powdered milk, wet wipes, gloves and a small paper with Zidan’s writing.
The baby girl is estimated to be two days old based on the note written by Zidan, who is suspected of deliberately abandoning the infant at the scene.
The witnesses eventually reported the discovery of the live baby to the local RT and the police. News of the discovery has also been reported to Pasar Minggu Police Station.
Pasar Minggu Police Station is conducting efforts to retrieve CCTV footage and coordinating with RT, the Community Early-Warning Forum (FKDM), Pasar Minggu Health Centre and the South Jakarta Social Service Office.
‘At 19:55 WIB, the baby girl was brought to Pasar Minggu Health Centre for further medical treatment,’ he said.
Jakarta Governor Deputy Rano Karno, also known as ‘Bang Doel’, has expressed special attention and hopes the baby will receive safe assistance channels. ‘Hopefully this child did not come to the wrong place. If she comes to the kelurahan, she will surely be attended to. At minimum the Social Service will be involved directly. Hopefully she did not come to the wrong place,’ said Rano Karno at the Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (5/3).
Rano Karno emphasised that metropolitan authorities would take swift action to care for and rescue the baby. ‘I would like to thank the media for bringing this to light, so we can respond quickly, as this is part of the social activities that Jakarta carries out,’ he added.