PETALING JAYA: Children made to beg or perform in public for money endure emotional stress, embarrassment, and the normalisation of transactional behaviour, says Be My Protector vice-chairman Prof Dr Isdawati Ismail.
She pointed out that it is a violation of child rights, citing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that children have the right to protection from economic exploitation and any work that is harmful to their well-being.
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“Begging under adult direction is a form of exploitative child labour. Using children as tools for begging even under cultural events or festive occasions is not charity but mere exploitation.
“It also exposes the child to safety risks including physical harm or accidents, harassment from strangers, exposure to heat, pollution, and long hours without rest as well as emotional and psychological harm.”
Isdawati urged the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and local councils to issue clear directives prohibiting child begging.
Be My Protector is a children’s rights group.
Earlier this month, a 50-year-old man was nabbed when he put his seven-year-old niece in a Spider-Man costume and made her beg at a petrol station in Melaka.
Nawiza Ariff, who is the vice-chairman of Children’s Protection Society Malaysia (KL branch) called for authorities to monitor Ramadan bazaars to check on the presence of children engaging in such activities.
She said these cases could be a reflection of problems such as poverty, families saddled with debts, or the possibility of these children being at the mercy of criminal groups or gangs.
“There should be stronger coordination between local councils, the Social Welfare Department, law enforcement, and community organisations,” she said.
“Welfare assessments of affected children and their families must be undertaken to determine appropriate interventions to support them,” she added.
Exploiting children to beg is an offence under Section 32 of the Child Act 2001, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of RM20,000, or both.
