News Update:
Malaysian police and the all powerful media should consider issuing warnings of attempted abductions to alert the community as the Chicago police have done here. The warning about an attempted child abduction include details such as where, when and how as well as a description of the car and the suspect. A lucky 11-year old girl told Chicago police that a man tried to lure her into a car as she walked to school and investigators believe this may be the same suspect wanted in another abduction attempt of a 13-year-old girl. Meanwhile, reports of attempted abductions of children in the Spanish island of Tenerife here follow closely two cases of still missing children Sara Morales and Yeremi Vargashe. Island police know that in at least in two foiled abductions of minors (aged 10 and 9 years) all involved white vans. In one incident, the driver asked for directions and offered the girl five euros if she got in to direct him and when the girl refused. he got down and grabbed her by the throat to force her into the back. Her screams attracted attention and the driver sped off.
The abduction of young children is an issue that is everyone’s responsibility and the media should play a role in reminding everyone to be on the lookout in any abduction attempt. There is great likelihood that if the perpetrator failed to get a child in one area, he might try again in another area. If we don’t want more cases of Nurins and Ninis, we have to work together on this – The Police, The Media and The Community!
I am personally glad this matter of teachers making sure no child is left stranded outside school alone while waiting for their parents was highlighted by the Prime Minister himself. Having been in a similar predicament years ago, I really hope teachers and parents take heed of the dangers children face. Prevention is the key!
The Star article here reports: Abdullah said he had also told Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to advise teachers to look after students who had to wait for their parents outside their schools. He said this was when something bad happened to them, including abduction. “They are only a bunch of kids and naive about their surroundings. Teachers must not be too petty about helping these students as it is not their fault (to have to wait for their parents). “By all means, help them and call their parents or wait with them until their parents come and fetch them.”
The popular series “911″ was aired way before the Amber Alert programme was initiated following the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman in 1996. Watch another two part episode of 911 below (source here and here) about a girl who was kidnapped from her back yard. This segment was taken from Episode 420 which aired on March 9, 1993 on CBS. Pay attention to the quick action of the policeman who spotted the getaway car based on the radio dispatch and his quick assessment of the situation that led to the child’s rescue within 30 mins of the call to 911. At the end of the show, there was emphasis on educating children on the dangers of following a stranger with important messages for all of us to follow.
Watch the videoclip below (source here) that was broadcast on Global Channel 7 Calgary, Canada after a stranger abduction from Drumheller Alberta (Date unknown) that includes safety tips for parents as well as children.
I have yet to see any TV programme in Malaysia that shows thse kinds of messages. What we get is umpteen reminders that parents are responsible and can e charged without addressing the real issues. Child abduction can happen to anyone, sometimes because of the child’s own inability to make correct judgments. The best lesson to learn is not to take undue risks, as my commentor Yatie says:
I always bear in my mind that should I lose my child, I would never find her alive again SO sebelum apa-apa terjadi, biarlah i bersusah sikit menghantar anak ke hulu hilir asalkan tak hilang langsung dari mata. I’m not strong to face anything like this. The problem with our masyarakat now is that they think that this ‘thing’ is not going to happen to them. Where as it can happen to anybody.
As for aspiring politicians who are more concerned about winning big in the upcoming general elections, please take this opportunity to include establishing child safety education and NURIN Alert as campaign promises for the rakyat in your constituency. In the United States, this report here says candidates for city council were also asked to debate on where they stood on missing children and would they support legislation to improve the Amber Alert system:
……..”We just can’t do enough for our children,” Hisch said. “Once the Amber Alert goes out then everybody needs to follow that. Whatever legislation we can passed, I’m all for that. There’s a lot of things we can do to help our children. It’s unfortunate that society has reached this point where we have to protect people from other people,” Swoffer said. “Legality sits in and we have limited ability with some of these things. Personally, I would like to see Amber Alert put into effect whenever someone wants it. The Amber Alert should be put out immediately,” Paris said. “I don’t care if it’s a family member who has abducted his children or whatever the case may be – sometimes that’s the most dangerous. As far as legislation, I would wholeheartedly do whatever I had to do to pass legislation to help our kids.”…………….
A public service announcement here from the United states Department of Justice on the effectiveness of the Amber Alert system to rescue misisng children alive. This 2006 Amber Alert Report from the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children shows (as reported in this article here) that:
……..Of the 261 AMBER Alerts issued between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2006, 214 cases resulted in a recovery, 53 of which were successfully resolved as a direct result of those respective AMBER Alerts being issued. Nine (9) children were recovered deceased, and, as of April 21, 2007, 10 cases still remain active with 11 children still missing. (For full report, please click on link)
Didn’t we use to have that silly and rather crass true-story-dramamentary called Kisah Benar? Well, at least it was rather a good attempt, though it kinda fell flat in the end.
Hardly ever watched the show myself. Not sure if they still have it. Somehow the depth of understanding on issues was sorely lacking in the shows analysis. More for entertainment rather than educational. These type of shows have now largely been replaced by all those “Misteri” type stuff. Now I know why Malaysians are such an apathetic lot. Just blame it all on black magic or mysterious forces and call in the bomoh! No need to come up with a logical, practical system like the Amber Alert. So when Malaysians have problems “Who you gonna call?” – The Bomohs! Stop rain, call bomoh! Mental problems, call bomoh! Child abducted, call bomoh! Teen pregnancy, call bomoh! Grow money, call bomoh! Win elections, call bomoh! For love, call bomoh!
Hi Tembam … Kak Ton (Tok Mommy) recommended your site to me in a at her blog re Sharlinie. I must say you have done a superb job in updating us on her news, creating awareness of child safety and the need of public consciousness. Congrats!
I will take your lead and share a personal abduction story so that others may learn from it. Not easy for me to bring back the details but I should do it. I hope you don’t mind that I put a link to your site when I write about Sharlinie.
It is so very true, what you said about the bomoh angle. I used to be involved in organizing the defence shows for MINDEF and remember being asked to authorize RM5000 to stop the rain because of an air show. They had this ritual of poking a dozen of so chilli padi on the site and sprinkling a kilo of rice over them. All that for lima ribu ringgit! But the rain stayed away that day. It was the only break in a week of rain. The next show, the fee doubled and the expense wasn’t approved. We handed out umbrellas instead. It also did not rain!
Enjoy your weekend, Temban. Again, great stuff here.
Hi Rita! Hey, I noticed your link and had a quick visit to that newsy blog of your’s too ( I’m Making Notes – http://ritaho.blogspot.com/ ) and added it to my blog roll. Any friend of Kak Ton’s is a friend of mine. The great thing about cyberspace is that it does not matter time, place or whatever, we can still connect.
Personal abduction story? Oh my, seriously! Yes, please do write about it, especially how you came out of it unscathed and what we should tell our children what not to do. I do believe if enough people spread the word, we just might change a lot of mindsets, for the better surely!
RM5,000? Hooyoo…..that was one hefty scam job! I know quite a few event organisers who hire their regular bomohs for this sort of thing. Imagine the number of chili padi plants sprouting all over the field, hahahaha!!! Really, if it’s going to rain, not much we can do. I wonder Rita, if Bomohs only work on rain? How about snow, sleet, tornadoes, twisters, hurricanes, blizzards, and such like. Boy, they’d make a killing in the United States. Listen, you could set up a Bomoh branch office to market their services over there in the US of A!
Do drop in whenever you feel like a chat! Take care now!
Hi Temban … Thank you for blogrolling me. You are already one mine.
I will relate my story this weekend. The circumstances were not drastic but the frightful realization of what could have taken place somehow stuck with me.
You are funny about them chilli padi growing and correct too! I now wonder if they actually decayed into the ground and had seedlings from the seeds. And yes if bomohs can align the inconsistent and often drastic weather in the US, they will give Bill Gates a run for being the richest person in the world. I cannot market them lah, Temban. No support from my husband as he is totally into science and logic. He does not even share my belief in God.
So, a branch office to sell belacan and durian is doable but not bomoh skills. Hahaha!
Will keep an eye out for the post. Yeah, science and logic can explain most things except ‘things that go bump in the night’ sort of stuff! It’s fine if it doesn’t cause any harm. I guess we are concerend if bomoh misleads with false advertising. I know women who suffered from cancer and refused to get a mastectomy for fear of losing their husband or some totally unrelated worry. Of course the bomoh could not cure the cancer and what’s worse is that the cancer spread and caused the woman a lot of misery. She eventually died and guess what? Hubby remarried pronto! The bomoh should not have given her false hope and should have just advised her to go to the doctor if he could not cure her. But money is too easy in the bomoh business!