KUALA LUMPUR - Alarmed by media reports of an alleged child abuse by a kindergarten operator, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil warned parents to be careful about the centres they send their young children to.

"They should not be afraid to ask to see the permits of operators of the kidergartens they are planning to send their children. They (the parents) are responsible for the safety and development of their children," she said in a statement here Friday.

Parents and guardians have a moral obligation to ensure that their children are enrolled in bona fide kindergartens that measure up to minimum standards approved by the Health Department, the Fire and Rescue Department and the local council," she added, responding to a recent report in Penang.

The grandparents of a four-year-old girl had alleged that a paedophile could be running a kindergarten where their grandchild had been sent to. They complained that police investigation into the case had been dragging.

Police reports were lodged in April 2008 about the abuse and the suspected illegal operation of the kindergarten. It is alleged that after a year of the report being made, the suspect is still running the kindergarten - albeit under a different name.

State criminal investigation department chief Senior Asst Comm II Wan Abdullah Tuanku Said was quoted as saying that the case required delicate investigations as it involved a child and a number of examples of corroborative evidence were being scrutinised.

Taking so long to probe

"It is disheartening to note that the police are taking so long to complete their investigations.

"If the allegations are true, there may be other incidences of sexual abuse that have not been reported due to fear or ignorance," Shahrizat said.

"As such, it is important that the police ensure that all forms of allegations involving cases of child abuse, molestation and rape are dealt with immediately and appropriately to prevent further abuse of other children," she added. 

Shahrizat said the media reports bring into focus the importance of the Child Protection Policy (CPP), which the Cabinet approved on July 29 this year.

"Children have the right to be protected from neglect, abuse, violence and exploitation and the CPP is very much needed to encourage each agency, organisation and society to give priority to children as a common responsibility.

"The CPP is in line with the philosophy of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Act 2001," she said. 

Cases of child abuse on the rise

Police statistics show that child abuse, molestation and rape are on the increase, From 2,236 cases in 2005 it rose to 5,744 in 2008. In the first seven months of this year, 2,193 cases have been reported to the police.

Shahrizat reiterated that child abuse is a serious contravention and violation of the rights of children to grow in a safe and healthy environment, adding that the crime puts the children's survival at risk.

"The CPP will serve as a guide for various agencies – government, private, academia and non-governmental organisations - to work together to ensure that children are well protected.

"In a nutshell, the CPP focuses on staff behavioral protocols, recruitment and screening and procedures for handling allegations of abuse, communication with and about children, and training, evaluation and monitoring," she said. - Malaysian Mirror