A. Murali
_______________________________
On the night of December 27, 2007, my wife and I, whist having dinner at a restaurant in Subang Jaya, witnessed a man hitting a child (presumably his son).
The little boy was in our estimation no more than 5 years old.
The man delivered slaps across the child’s face with frightening force. The man only stopped after I intervened and threatened to call the police. He, however, continued to verbally abuse the child.
A lady (presumably his wife) was also seated at his table together with another toddler. The lady appeared fearful of the man.
My wife and I were concerned that the child may be habitually abused by the man and we decided that we should, for the sake of the welfare of the child, report the incident to the authorities.
As he left the restaurant I managed to make a note of the registration number of the car he drove.
The next day, I called the child abuse hotline, set up by the welfare department, to make a report of the
incident. The person who attended my call informed me that she was unable to take my report as I could not
provided her with the address of the person against whom the report is made. The car registration number
alone, I was told, was insufficient for them to investigate the matter.
Although I felt that the welfare department had the resources to trace the owner of the vehicle I chose not to debate the point with her. Instead, I conducted a search with the JPJ and obtained the name, address and identity card number of the owner of the car.
On 21st January 2008 I sent a letter, by courier, to the Jabatan Kebajikan Subang Jaya to report the
incident.
On the 3rd March 2008 I called the department to find out the status of their investigations into my report.
I was told that the department was not able to trace my letter and I was asked to send the letter again.
As requested I sent the letter again this time by facsimile.
I then made several calls to the department to determine if it had taken any action on my report. I
was not successful in getting any information on the matter. I was told that the officer in charge was
either not in or was unavailable. My calls were also not returned by officer in charge although I requested
that he/she calls me back.
I then resorted to lodge a complaint with the public complaints bureau with regards the failure of the
welfare department to take any action on my report. I made the complaint to the public complaints bureau on 2nd April 2008 through their online complaint system.
I checked the status of my complaint on 3rd, 4th and 8th April 2008 and found that my complaint to the
bureau was still under investigation.
I followed up by posting additional messages on the bureau’s message board expressing my frustration that the complaint is still under investigation. In my follow up messages I tried to impress upon the bureau that what is important is to ensure, for the sake of the safety of the child, that the welfare department takes immediate steps to investigate my report.
On 16 April 2008 I received an e-mail from the public complaints bureau informing me that the bureau would seek an explanation from the welfare department as to why it has not acted on my report.
I replied this e-mail and informed the bureau that explanations are not important. What is important is that the welfare department takes immediate action to investigate the report that I made.
When no reply was forthcoming, from the bureau or the welfare department, I sent a further e-mail to the
bureau on the 30th April 2008. This time I informed the bureau that if I did not, within 48 hours, receive
any information with regards the steps taken by the welfare department to ensure the safety of the child I
will bring this matter to the attention of the media, including the alternative media.
I have since still not received any communication from either the public complaints bureau or the welfare department.
I am shocked and dismayed at the manner in which the welfare department has dealt, or rather not dealt,
with this matter. It is, after all, the institution entrusted to protect the welfare of children.
What could be more deserving of their urgent attention than a complaint regarding the abuse of a child?
It has been more than 3 months since I first made my complaint to the department. I dread to think what may have happened to the child in this period.
I am also disappointed with the public complaints bureau.
It took the bureau 2 weeks just to inform me that it will contact (which suggests that no contact had yet been made) the welfare department to request an explanation as to why it has not taken any action. I am not even sure whether the bureau has contacted the welfare department at all.
I am at my wits end as to what I should do to make the welfare department investigate my complaint.
I sincerely hope that the Peoples Parliament takes this issue up with the welfare department. It could
mean saving a child from further torment from an abusive father.
May 7, 2008 at 7:08 pm
malaysia boleh….
May 7, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Oh Murali,
I believe you 100% because this is how our civil service functions. They will do all they can to avoid you, discourage you or even shun you because you are encroaching into their comfort zone. They don’t want unpopular tasks.
All they want to do is to shake legs and gossip in the office, go for their four or five tea breaks and collect the pay check every month.
Walk into any department with your citizens complaint and they will consider you a nuisance.
May 7, 2008 at 8:14 pm
It’s because Malaysian government and their supporters define ‘development’ as ‘having plenty of tall buildings’. A lot of pro-government people say that we can’t be called as third-world country anymore, but we’re now a developed country because we have skyscrapers, Sepang F1 circuit, KLIA and Putrajaya.
The definition of definition is actually more than that. Education, health care, crime control, hygiene, efficiency and mentality should all be included in the definition but pro-government people think Malaysia rocks just because we have skyscrapers, Sepang F1 circuit, KLIA and Putrajaya. That’s why their efforts in developing Malaysia are mostly centered in making huge buildings, not in improving the efficiency of public complaints bureau, police, registration system etc.
May 7, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I mean ‘the definition of development’
May 7, 2008 at 8:25 pm
typical beureaucrats…see nothing, hear nothing, do nothing…collect gaji end month…semua ok!
May 7, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Haris, AAB, SIL&Co. would only layan those issues that have direct impact on their survival anak beranak… nasib lah kita, though I deeply share your frustration. I said once sometime ago when looking at the rise in serious crimes in Malaysia, especially during the reign of AAB,SIL&Co. & his Islam AdaHari that what the Chinese say is true: the fish starts rotting from the head… and unfortunately for us Malaysians, we let our “heads” rot for the past four years!! What are we going to do about it?
May 7, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I don’t think they will ever listen
May 7, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Frustrating isn’t it? Hopefully people like A. Murali will not stop doing what they did just because the malaise is too deeply embedded in almost every part of the government. From the despatch clerks to the PM.
Malaysian government, and most Malaysians are not into prevention. Most of the brouhaha were always after the fact. From education, to social ills, to public amenities, to the legal system. Debates raged for weeks, special commissions, tribunals set up and then as the norm, disappear into oblivion in a month or so. With not a small amount of public funds at that.
The only preventive/preemptive action the government and its machinery is very capable of, is utilising their draconian Acts.
May 7, 2008 at 9:45 pm
You pass the buck to me, I’ll pass it back to you.
May 7, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Mediocre….This is what happens when you put monkeys on the job.
May 7, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Dear Haris,
Child abuse is rampant in Msia but Msians still have the ‘jaga tepi kain’ mentality. Everyone goes about their business, close one eye and go on their way.
It has *always* been that way. I’m not sure how to change that kind of mentality.
In our neighbourhood, there’s a kid that’s constantly being screamed at by an adult. The whole neighbourhood can hear the screaming,shouting and crying but I doubt no one has called up any hotline.
May 7, 2008 at 10:12 pm
what u did was correct . should have taken photos
May 7, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I experienced the same thing a few years ago. I was horrified to find a Malay boy aged about 9 years old living in Sunway Pyramid. He begged for money to buy food, bath at the fountains, sleep under the staircase during the day and on the bench when the complex closed. He was known to all the security guards there.
I called the same welfare depts. Even wrote a letter to the current pm. Just like what you went through and eventually after 6 months the boy was taken back by the father. He apparently ran away from a broken home.
May 7, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Dear Harris,
If a lawyer like your good self cannot impress upon the welfare department, what can a common man do? It is definitely disappointing. The Welfare Department was supposed to have a Child Protection Team section. What happened to them. There is even a law to deal with such complaints. Is that enactment just a paper to to get Malaysia’s reputation worldwide a notch higher in true spirit of all those Malaysia Boleh attempts? Next time just kick that b@#$%&*t and then we’ll see if the police takes action on you or that rascal.
May 7, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Just place yourselves in the shoes of that kid! Our welfare department typically waits for tragedies to occur before any action is taken. Take preventive measures please.
May 7, 2008 at 11:03 pm
My husband and I are very angry to hear that there is no immediate action being done by the welfare department and public complaints bureau. Kids are innocent and we should protect them from being abused by selfish and violent adults. Thanks for letting us know the truth and keep up the good work.
May 7, 2008 at 11:46 pm
World class facilities, with third world ideology.
Malaysian must continue fighting and the war must go on!
Against Nazism ala UMNO and BN for the well-being of our offspring.
May 8, 2008 at 12:41 am
Dear Bro’ Haris,
With so many compliants about everything from making a police report even on serious matters to the Municipality Councils neglect on rubbish, plus this one – it appears that our Law abiding,Tax paying & peace loving citizens’ Basic infrastructure needs are being neglected & even worst, would anyone like to make any police reports on being mugged, robbed, threatened with life threatening incidents……?
Are we ending up being a Developed World with bludgeoning expenditure on the latest….,the biggest…., the best….., the most advanced….., etc with no proper maintenance/upkeep/utilisation policy implemented – a 3rd World mentality.
Where can our downtrodden, abused citizens get any help when even their basic security & needs are denied ?
May 8, 2008 at 12:43 am
Nothing surprising! The rot is very deep down. What you experience is just the tip of the iceberg.
Typical tidak apa attitude civil service dominated by cronies or placements with no check and balance system. Maybe manned by local graduates who cant get jobs elsewhere.
Cant call them civil because not civil minded and no service. So what do we have here?
Maybe should change their name. BN clever at rebranding. A visit to many government departments is like visiting a zoo, watch them eating and yakking only.
Consider youself lucky to even get a reply.
May 8, 2008 at 1:03 am
Really appreciate your good effect in trying to save the child and in anyway I sincerely thanks to you and may ALLAH bless you and your family. Hey you the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat … DO YOUR JOB as your Gaji also comes from all Malaysians tax payer.
May 8, 2008 at 1:39 am
Bravo Haris!I think you should take a further step by making a police report against the Welfare Dept; since I saw on that propagandic idiot RTM1 (besides being so boring of course!)about a supposedly indergrad student lodging a report against PR and MB Selangor! Accusing them of lying to the rakyat about their election promises! I nearly fell over the chair on this Umno’s newest cunning strategy! So, please Haris, make a police report against the Welfare Dept. since the ruling govt is not fulfilling its election promises to make govt. servants more accountable and really work genuinely for rakyat’s benefit. Plus, if I remember correctly, they’ve been having vigorous campaign about supposedly protecting our kids (but always blaming the parents though and never the system that construct the environment for such abuses); and yet this kind of widespread enough abusive incidents including beating up our children indiscriminately and increasing sexual crimes towards our children have so far not been resolved?! This govt/Umno is indeed an evil liar who can’t be bothered to protect our kids, and women especially! I’m sick of it all!!
Noor Aza Othman.
May 8, 2008 at 1:41 am
I could imagine how the people (from the govt sector) answer the phone calls….”tak dapat-lah”, “tunggu-huh, I pass the line”, “tak tahu apa bahagian lah”, “surat untuk apa-tu?”……etc…end up you’d give up following up cos of getting fed-up!!
May 8, 2008 at 1:58 am
UMNO needs all these BULLSHIT Departments so that they can feed themselves with the Corruption Money Siphoned. Please get rid of this dumb KISS_ASS mentality.
On the Bandar Acheh Tsunami… how many Million Ringgit went missing?
And is the STUPID Malaysian Government going to “donate” money to their own pockets.. I mean to Myanmar for the Tornado? How many Million will go missing again?
Truly Asia, Truly BASTARDS….
May 8, 2008 at 2:49 am
Haris,
How many times in the past did you contact Government offices?
How many offices did you contact over the past years?
How many times you feel they are not Fair and many of them are not doing their job?
How many of efforts and kindness of yours had turned into disappointment & despairs?
At the end of the day, many of them can be found having the most modern offices, communication equipments, offices under ISO or people of professionals and Ph D!
Yet they go to seminar more than sitting in the office!
Many of them are just doing the “PASS THE BUCKETS”!
Imagine House Buyers paid to Lawyer of the Developer to do the job of the Developer can be dragged for two years when Developer can obtain Strata Title without Blanket Consent.
That lawyer can drag around with excuses over excuses and also lies!
Land Office can tell that they need documents for checking of Bumiputra when this should be checked before issue of Strata Title and copy of such are in they file when the project was approved or at least during application of sub-division!
Lawyer can lies that they have to wait for more than one year to apply Consent in batches of 10 min.
But applying blanket consent as Consent to Transfer in order to get payment from the Buyers.
Land office did not compel the Developer to apply blanket consent for the whole building but play in concert to approve batches.
Finally with the help of LWB, MTES approved the so called Blanket Consent by taking Letter of Land Alienation to say that wasn’t any Bumiputra quota!
Director of Land & Mine, now a Datin, did not bother even to reply enquiries or complaints on Strata Title nor matter of Management Corporation.
Complaints to Ministry of Land & Mines finally replied with letters that they had passed to that Director!
Contacting Licensing Department of Housing, the answer was to get Court Order for copy of License and Approval Plans.
Enforcement Department called for a meeting but said it was no longer their job when ST were issued!
Reported to IBU, the same experience as yours!
For hanky panky in accounts and purchasing, ACA just said it was a matter of mis-appropriation.
When complaining to Police, they said, they will only handle criminal!
When complaining to Bar Council, the Dato secretariat instigated the Respondent to object the forwarding of explanation to the Complainant and object even to ask the Respondent to provide a Sequent of Events.
Similarly, the DB had not forwarded the explanation to the Complainant and discharge the case without any hearing or investigation.
When asking MPPJ for approval plans and Development Order, the said they had passed to MPSJ.
When asking MPSJ, they said they were in the store that take time (years) to search!
Asking Land office for copies of the files, how a Condo can become Apartment, they said it was too old to search. For more than two years, they did not reply!
And, …..
Haris, they are persisted for the last 6-7 years!!
Can you persist?
Many of their officers had long changed?
Will you persist when you have to face Defamation suit of millions?
Will you persist when you had engaged 3 lawyers not doing the job but dragging even a Suggested Statement of Facts & Issues took more than 2 years!
And, the issue is simply to try if the letters were Defamatory?
And, Plaintiff refused to categorized their Bundle nor clarify why the letters was not in their bundle but some others!
Lately, the 3rd lawyers chased the clients off his office when he was paid and had not provided the jobs for the last one years, not attending courts, not report to the clients what had happened. Finally, even assaulted and battered the client to be in hospital.The Police made his own report when victim requested to use his and refused to chop on receipt of letters and report. No sign of investigation!
The Court reply with a letter which cannot even answer any point of the queries but distorting the facts. Nevertheless, directed the Plaintiff to go ahead with filing their bundle and Defendants to work on their own, ignoring their lawyers!
IS YOUR CASE WORSE THAN THIS?
DO YOU THINK ANY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT IS WORKING STRICT TO RULES & REGULATIONS?
One of the lawyers was introduced by a high official of the Bar!
Haris,
Yours could be a stone in the Tea Cup!
Mines is a Rock into the Sea!
I can see and feel yours
but can you feel mine?
You are lawyer to talk and fight! (Rock to Rock?)
I am a Rakyat to talk and fight against lawyers and court! (Egg to Rocks!!)
HOW MANY LAWYERS & COURT A RAKYAT HAS TO FIGHT BEFORE THE DAWN OF JUSTICE WILL GONE?
May 8, 2008 at 3:14 am
Pak Lah’s goverment only care for spending moneylah….just looking at the past 4 years performance you know wat..
May 8, 2008 at 6:50 am
The whole purpose of this welfare department is for the govt. to take care of them in the dept, with
1. free salary
2. chit chat & gossip time, in other words Soo-cialising
with their fellow peers from the same dept.
3. After all the scholarships and free handouts and them passing their exams and being unemployable in the private sector, they feel the govt. of bn owes it to them to find easy jobs for them.
4. HARIS’S complaint is not serious, to be taken lightly, what is a slap, when the child ends in hospital than we will investigate.
4. warm their asses in a/cond offices.
5. wait for social events like meets or ‘KURSUS’ AT 5 STAR LUXURY RESORTS, free food and lodgings, and party, with other govt dept employees, learn the latest in-thing with a grand slogan, on means and ways on how to make the rakyat fill up more forms,until they give up and go away, learn innovative ways to sell amway whilst still in govt service, sell to the customers.
6. try and make side money after kissing the right asses and getting into cushy positions where they deal with suppliers.
7. wait for reetirement.
what else, ask them to work, you notice how they walk, must have learnt it at one of these kursus, they drag their slippers and walk, what help do you expect from people who can’t even be bothered to lift their feet and walk, watch the next time you go to govt. dept.
May 8, 2008 at 8:35 am
Murali dude, you’re using the wrong tact, man!
If you want some action taken, you need to call up the religious department and tell them there’s a man trying to convert his 5 year old kid out of Islam.
You can bet yer ass police cars would swarm down there and the kid would be removed, no questions asked.
May 8, 2008 at 8:44 am
Haris
Please send your blog entry and all the comments that followed to the Chief Secretary to the Government (Sidek) and someone called Ganalingam (no, not that lingam fler) who is in charge of some efficiency committee. Do so by AR Registered Post and see whether they wake up.
What you have experienced is the RESULT of the 22 years of negligence, authoritarianism and sheer, unfiltered incompetence all of which has been institutionalized. These so called government servants have been trained to jump to attention only when someone with a Tan Sri or a Datuk prefix makes a call.
It is unfortunate that you have neither.
May 8, 2008 at 11:04 am
The government has spent millions $$ to sent ONE Angkasawan to space, so that we can be proud to call ourself “Malaysian”.
While the poor and helpless are still waiting for this millions $$ to help improve their fundamental infrastructure, education, welfares, socials.
Am I still suppose to be proud to be a Malaysian ??
May 8, 2008 at 11:41 am
Every reader who is a man,
who understand his duty in a family.
Do you think being rude to anyone, especially to members of family are born with the soul?
Think of the change of the society where you cannot see the rules and regulations?
Think about the times when you are pushed around by those you paid to serve had become bully instead of serving!
Think about the frustration when you are pushed around by Departments or those supposing to give help but putting more burden to your soul!
Yet, nowhere you tell your Grievance or more to come after complaining!
Yet, you have paid, have given most of your efforts and in returned with bullies!
In a society where rules and regulations are transparent, when education has a proper direction to equip people to understand the Human Rights in the Society and ways to get help and harmony, the MAN or anyone just have to work their way with Security and Help from the Government or Society.
In Malaysia, what kind of security, or Education, or, Government Service that can help to ease the way of a Man or anyone?
Even those paying to Developer under Standard S&P proposed by Ministers and passed by Parliament can hardly be enforced but more troubles than anyone could expect!
To the kids, and, also to their parents, sympathies have to extended.
Like those abandoned babies, unwed women
the only words that could probably conclude is
All of you or us are in the Wrong Time & Place to being a Human on Earth!!
As a Lawyer, please think about the Consequences when the Bar cannot work properly to regulate its staffs and Stick to Rules to serve the Public, can YOU demand Rules & Regulation from the Government?
Judges in most cases come from Lawyers!
WHERE CAN ALL THESE GRIEVANCES GONE!
To Bloggers, you have your way!
But still,
Your Rights of Speech can easily be threatened by Sedition or even ISA!!
======================================================
A country with big piece of arable land cannot even supply enough its own Rice (also in good quality) but to Import for the sake of WHOM?
Think about the price increase in Rice that has come up these few days!
A lot of Malaysians have to lower their standard of living to cope with every bit of increases in Tariff, Toll, License, petrol, Waste Treatment, etc…as a result of careless and corrupted government in a land with God Blessed weather, geographical situation and resources!!
Think about the OSA, Authority Protection Act, and those protection clauses in many Acts!
Who can propose
Who had let them go
Who had allowed them to stay to give Blocks to Human Rights?
If ALL THESE ACT CANNOT BE AMENDED AND ENFORCED,
How many Malaysian will be tied even with Change of Government?
————-
Without 1/2 (I think) of the Parliament Seats to change the Law or 2/3 to change the Constitution with implement of Human Rights, NO WAY TO GO!!
May 8, 2008 at 11:57 am
A lot of happenings do not matter lives or death
But they are deteriorating every bit of our life!
Damages are not only to be accounted for money matter but the healthy and harmonic growth of a human, a family, a society and a country.
Not points to be seen, but lines and surfaces that they will relate and contribute!
SEE THE STONE INTO THE LAKE?
OR THE SOUND OR WAVES THAT IT MAKES?
———-
Correction on last post where it should be:
“If ALL THESE ACTS CANNOT BE AMENDED or DELETED” instead of enforced!
May 8, 2008 at 2:59 pm
It is horrifying to realise that on top of the many unreported cases of abuse, the ones reported are not acted on. When considering candidates to be placed in key organisations like the welfare dept, only responsible, pro-active people who care should be chosen, and not some unmotivated, tidak apa individuals whose main concern is gossip, their tea-break, monthly paycheck and leaving at 4.15 sharp.
One suggestion is for PR to set up their own dept on this and man it with the right people. I’m sure there are already volunteer organisations in this area (I must shamefully confess to being poorly informed about these organisations). Lets take some steps to raise awareness of these alternatives to our infamous welfare dept. If any commentators here are more well versed than I am, could you please tell us more. Thanks!
May 9, 2008 at 12:41 pm
9th MAy’ 2008
Dear Murali, We share your deep concern about the lacksidal attitude by those who handled your complaint. We support you all the way. It takes lot of courgage and perseverance to see it thru’ so keep onthe fight for the sake of a better Malaysia.
http://WWW.PEMALIK.ORG
July 14, 2008 at 4:20 am
i have a kid myself but i belive you 100%.i think you should get his address again and do something about it yourself.even if you have to hurt him.he’s hurting his child witch he probably does not want so take the kid away in cort.even a foster home would be better than what he is in.i would keep him.