19 May 2022

Press statement by Wanita MCA Selangor Chairperson Tee Hooi Ling


Preventing child abuse: More collaboration needed between all quartres


On 16 May 2022, an eight-year-old girl believed to have been a victim of abuse died from her injuries following alleged abuse by her uncle and aunt in Ipoh.

An autopsy was conducted by a pathologist at the Forensics Department (HRPB), and it was found that the cause of death was ‘multiple blunt injury’. The examination on the body also found injuries believed to have been caused by abuse.

Berita Harian on 17 May 2022 reported the case of a boy who was sodomised by his religious school teacher in Kota Bharu since he was just 9 years old.

Not even one month has passed since the revelation of Bella’s abuse case shook our country, yet today we are faced with not one, but two cases which even resulted in a child’s death. Undeniably, child abuse is a despicable offense: robbing children of their rights and privacy, as well as inflicting serious trauma which could be hard to forget and recover from.

According to Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, as there was a 42 per cent increase in the number of sexual crimes against children between 2020 and 2021, more courts handling sexual crimes against children had to be established to hear these cases.

Wanita MCA has called for action since years ago for greater collaboration between all quartres towards preventing child abuse. How can we stand to allow such abuse and sexual crimes to torment our children? Or have we become desensitised because of the frequency of such cases in the media?

Such cases reflect the mental and moral standards of a nation’s society, because no right-minded country would take such cases lightly, especially when the statistics present a both convincing and worrying figure to necessitate immediate action.

Aside from abuse and sexual crimes, bullying exists in schools, and reportedly even amongst professionals in hospitals. If we do not find a way to correct these moral and ethical issues, Malaysia will be perceived according to the actions of these black sheep.

Wanita MCA urges everyone to protect our children as a community. As a community, we need to be more assertive and aware of such abuse cases, and be ready to report to the authorities after seeing red flags. Let’s all do our part to protect the next generation.

Tee Hooi Ling
Wanita MCA Selangor Chairperson

 

-MCA Online-