KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 – Many cases of missing children who were eventually found end up being investigated as rape cases, said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution.
During question time in Parliament yesterday, Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat that the majority (74 per cent) of missing children in the country were girls.
In the last five years, 3,847 children in Malaysia have gone missing to date. The figures fluctuate from year to year as follows: 792 cases in 2020, 594 cases in 2021, 902 cases in 2022, 779 cases in 2023, and as of September this year, 780 cases.
“This averages to about 770 cases or about two cases a day as pointed out by YB,” said Saifuddin referring to Parit MP, Tuan Muhammad Ismi Mat Taib, who had asked about the Home Ministry’s efforts in addressing cases of missing children
“However, in 96 per cent of these cases — children referring to those 18 and under – the police found the missing children,” he continued.
The highest number of children who go missing are from the 13 to 15 years age group (54 per cent), while teenagers aged 16 to 18 comprise 37 per cent of missing children, according to the home minister.
He added that the four main reasons children go missing are because they want more freedom, they followed a friend, they followed their romantic partner, and they have a misunderstanding with their family.
Knowing the reasons they go missing allows the police to determine what efforts can be made to find the children, he said.
“Our efforts are divided into three categories: before, during (when the incident has been reported), and after.
“For before, we focus on awareness programmes. We’ve organised child awareness programmes and women awareness programmes. We target these programmes to the age bracket I mentioned just now.”
Saifuddin added that just this year, 457 awareness programmes involving 141,000 children have been organised.
If the incident has occurred (child has gone missing), the Nur Alert (National Urgent Response Alert) will be activated. “The most important thing when a report of a missing child has been made, is to get the word out as widely as possible, and we do that through the Nur Alert.”
He explained that the Nur Alert involved various government departments and agencies, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and Grab, among others.
Details of the missing child are also entered into a portal for missing children with permission from their parents or guardian, said Saifuddin.
“Once the missing child is found, then we will profile the child and family,” he said, adding that the child and family will be given moral and psychological support.
“My recommendation is once the incident occurs, don’t wait until after 24 hours because this involves children. Make a report immediately.”
Saifuddin said after profiling the child and their parents, for most of the cases, police end up opening an investigation for rape.
“Meaning when they followed a friend, followed their romantic partner, searched for freedom, data shows that if these are the reasons they go missing, it ends with us opening a file to investigate rape.”
He added: “In the cases that we have encountered so far, the cases ending up in deaths, murders, the numbers are very small.”
According to the home minister, Selangor has the highest number of missing children, followed by Kedah, then Johor.
He concluded by urging MPs to increase their awareness activities on the issue through their service centres.
