It is not okay to abuse kids, say activists

KUALA LUMPUR: The court’s decision to jail Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali for the neglect and abuse of Bella should serve as a lesson for those working in childcare, say activists.

Activist Mona Din said she was grateful that all her efforts had finally paid off, noting that a precedent against future abuse cases had been set.

“From accusations of slander to lawsuits, my team and I have endured it all to reach this point.

“But it was all worth it, as now justice has been served, and with this, I hope all future and ongoing cases will follow suit, as fines alone are never enough to deter such brutal acts of abuse.

“We must learn from our mistakes as a society in order to prevent abuse cases like these from ever recurring,” said Mona, who herself has an adopted child with Down syndrome similar in age to Bella.

Wanita MCA chief Wong You Fong said she hoped that the decision would serve as a lesson for the people, especially those working in children’s shelters or foster care.

“Working as a nanny requires a professional attitude. People must not allow their own personal troubles to affect the innocent lives that have been put in their care.

“For those born healthy and sane, we, as a society, must do more to not only be aware of the rights of the vulnerable but also recognise and respect them as equals,” she said.

Wong also advised parents to only hire fully-trained nannies from certified care centres to prevent a recurrence of such cases.

Also present at the court was Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi, who called the decision a landmark social milestone for the country.

“The harsh sentence is a message to all Malaysians that the abuse of OKUs (people with disabilities) will never be tolerated in our country ever again.

“It is also a message of hope that as long as we as a society come together, nothing is impossible,” she said, adding that she and her legal team would continue to help cases of OKU abuse and encourage others to come forward.

“As a society, we must come together to protect our most vulnerable, and that all begins with people reporting cases of abuse that they see,” she added.

Another observer, Izrul Zainal Abidin, said he hoped the court decision would be the first step in changing the way abuse cases are handled in the future.

“We witnessed a serious lack of witness protection, especially during the early days of the investigation, with many core witnesses being first questioned in the presence of Siti Bainun.

“It was only after massive public pressure due to the case going viral on social media that interrogation methods were changed to be more private and free of possible influence.

“We hope these methods will be used for future cases of reported abuse,” he said.