JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - An 8-year-old boy told police a story yesterday of how his babysitter and her husband had caned him for the past year for the flimsiest of reasons.

David Goh's punishment remained a secret until Wednesday when one of his teachers noticed a swollen left cheek, blue-black marks on his left ear and cane marks on the head.

She alerted his aunt, who declined to be identified. The aunt called his mother, Chong Kuai Siam, 38, who works in Singapore at 2pm that day.

"When I questioned the babysitter, she denied the injuries were inflicted by her," Chong said at a press conference called by Johor Baru MCA division public service and complaints bureau deputy chairman, Tan Kim Hock.

The boy, who was present, said the babysitter would always use poor homework as an excuse to cane him.

Chong said the babysitter had claimed that the head injuries sustained by her son had been sustained in a fall while playing.

She later lodged a report at the Setia Indah police station.

In a separate press conference at the same venue in Tan's presence, the 34-year-old babysitter, accompanied by her husband, said she had probably used more physical force than she should have in disciplining the boy.

While she denied that the caning had led to his injuries, her husband admitted to slapping the boy.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said the case was under investigation.

--NST