ISKANDAR PUTERI: A five-year-old boy died after he was believed to have been left in a school van for over four hours yesterday.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner M Kumarasan said police have arrested the school van driver to assist in investigations into the case.

Kumarasan said the 56-year-old man was arrested in the Taman Bukit Indah area here at about 2.40pm yesterday.

He said the suspect had no prior criminal record and tested negative for drugs.

"The boy is believed to have been left behind in the van when the driver dropped off other students at the school around 7.30am that same day," he said in a statement today.

Kumarasan added that the boy was found unconscious in the school van at around noon. "The suspect has been remanded for seven days starting today until next Wednesday," he said.

Kumarasan also said that the body of the boy had been sent to Sultanah Aminah Hospital here for post-mortem.

"The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for negligence resulting in harm to a child," he said.