It’s been more than a week since Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was laid to rest. The public was outraged with the brutal murder of the innocent child to the extent that there has been so much blame-storming going around. Blame the parents… blame the police… blame the authorities… blame the neighborhood… blame whoever as long as not themselves! Reading all the comments and speculations, somehow the tune of the song “Bangau oh bangau” keeps playing in my mind. Sigh…
This was not the first time something like this happened to an innocent child. There were a few other cases when innocent children were brutally murdered by some sickos out there. Each time there would be speculations as to what happened… who was at fault etc. Yet the same thing keeps on happening again… and again… and again. Malaysians mudah lupa?
When some people start blaming the parents of negligence, I can’t help but think of the PLWHA families. Many of the PLWHAs whose cases I’m handling are from poor families, and mostly, single mothers. Or, if the fathers are still around, they are already too weak to work. As such, many of them have no choice but to depend on their young ones to run errands for their family. Go to the shop, look after the baby or whatever else on their own.
Fuzi, for example, depends a lot on her 12 year old daughter. The nearest grocery shop and public phone are quite far by walking distance, so the daughter (who is quite small-sized by the way), has to cycle all the way alone to buy necessities or to make a phone call when necessary. I managed to settle part of the problem by giving Fuzi a used handphone so it’d be easier for me to call them or for them to call me. And I also do send them groceries some of the time… but I definitely can’t do that all the time!
Some may argue that Fuzi should be the one to cycle to the shop and leave her eldest daughter at home to take care of the younger siblings. But how can we be sure the children are safe by themselves at home? A personal friend of mine, an adult, was murdered at her home in 2001 behind locked doors! Robbers broke into her home and when she struggled, they murdered her. Is anywhere safe anymore?!
Another thing about Fuzi’s family is that the place where they stay don’t have any public transportation. So the children go to school by bicycle along a very quiet road. And since they leave home about 6.30 in the morning, the road is not only quiet, but as there are no street lights for quite a long stretch, it is also dark! Mind you, this is not what Fuzi wants for her children really, but does she have a choice?
Okay, so now a few suspects have been nabbed by the police for the murder of little Nurin. Assuming that these people are indeed guilty of the crime; does it mean we can now sit back and relax? HECK NO! There are many sickos out there, and as mentioned by Kak Teh in her posting Beware The Faceless Monster, paedophiles don’t have their sickening hobbies etched on their forehead. So how are we to know?
Action must be taken NOW… by the police, the authorities, parents and the public at large to avoid such incidents in future. What sort of actions can be taken?
In one of Nuraina A.Samad’s posting, Princessjournals commented that Malaysia should adopt the Amber Alert. Ahh, finally something constructive instead of just arguing over who was at fault and who was not.
What is AMBER Alert? The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then brutally murdered. Other states and communities soon set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the nation. Read more about it here and here.
So yes, many agree that this system can be adopted here in Malaysia. Of course, why not? Since the American system was created as a legacy to Amber Hagerman, let’s call ours NURIN, as suggested by Rocky – Nationwide Urgent Response Inter-Network. Or something like that.
I may just be an ikan bilis blogger whose blog is not read by too many people, but as mentioned by Princessjournals here, if bloggers put up a concerted effort to highlight this matter on their respective blogs, we can reach a wider audience, and it may get the attention of the relevant authorities to adopt a similar system here in Malaysia.
Let us try to create awareness on safety. Let us all learn all the do’s and don’ts. What to do in an emergency… what to do first when you suspect a child missing… what to do when we see a child wailing while being dragged by an adult (don’t go and immediately clobber the adult without finding out what's going on! He/she may be the parent and the child throwing tantrums!!) …
Yes, let’s stop blaming people. Let's instead create awareness amongst the public on what can be done collectively.
This was not the first time something like this happened to an innocent child. There were a few other cases when innocent children were brutally murdered by some sickos out there. Each time there would be speculations as to what happened… who was at fault etc. Yet the same thing keeps on happening again… and again… and again. Malaysians mudah lupa?
When some people start blaming the parents of negligence, I can’t help but think of the PLWHA families. Many of the PLWHAs whose cases I’m handling are from poor families, and mostly, single mothers. Or, if the fathers are still around, they are already too weak to work. As such, many of them have no choice but to depend on their young ones to run errands for their family. Go to the shop, look after the baby or whatever else on their own.
Fuzi, for example, depends a lot on her 12 year old daughter. The nearest grocery shop and public phone are quite far by walking distance, so the daughter (who is quite small-sized by the way), has to cycle all the way alone to buy necessities or to make a phone call when necessary. I managed to settle part of the problem by giving Fuzi a used handphone so it’d be easier for me to call them or for them to call me. And I also do send them groceries some of the time… but I definitely can’t do that all the time!
Some may argue that Fuzi should be the one to cycle to the shop and leave her eldest daughter at home to take care of the younger siblings. But how can we be sure the children are safe by themselves at home? A personal friend of mine, an adult, was murdered at her home in 2001 behind locked doors! Robbers broke into her home and when she struggled, they murdered her. Is anywhere safe anymore?!
Another thing about Fuzi’s family is that the place where they stay don’t have any public transportation. So the children go to school by bicycle along a very quiet road. And since they leave home about 6.30 in the morning, the road is not only quiet, but as there are no street lights for quite a long stretch, it is also dark! Mind you, this is not what Fuzi wants for her children really, but does she have a choice?
Okay, so now a few suspects have been nabbed by the police for the murder of little Nurin. Assuming that these people are indeed guilty of the crime; does it mean we can now sit back and relax? HECK NO! There are many sickos out there, and as mentioned by Kak Teh in her posting Beware The Faceless Monster, paedophiles don’t have their sickening hobbies etched on their forehead. So how are we to know?
Action must be taken NOW… by the police, the authorities, parents and the public at large to avoid such incidents in future. What sort of actions can be taken?
In one of Nuraina A.Samad’s posting, Princessjournals commented that Malaysia should adopt the Amber Alert. Ahh, finally something constructive instead of just arguing over who was at fault and who was not.
What is AMBER Alert? The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then brutally murdered. Other states and communities soon set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the nation. Read more about it here and here.
So yes, many agree that this system can be adopted here in Malaysia. Of course, why not? Since the American system was created as a legacy to Amber Hagerman, let’s call ours NURIN, as suggested by Rocky – Nationwide Urgent Response Inter-Network. Or something like that.
I may just be an ikan bilis blogger whose blog is not read by too many people, but as mentioned by Princessjournals here, if bloggers put up a concerted effort to highlight this matter on their respective blogs, we can reach a wider audience, and it may get the attention of the relevant authorities to adopt a similar system here in Malaysia.
Let us try to create awareness on safety. Let us all learn all the do’s and don’ts. What to do in an emergency… what to do first when you suspect a child missing… what to do when we see a child wailing while being dragged by an adult (don’t go and immediately clobber the adult without finding out what's going on! He/she may be the parent and the child throwing tantrums!!) …
Yes, let’s stop blaming people. Let's instead create awareness amongst the public on what can be done collectively.
I am all for the AMBER/NURIN Alert system. What say you?
30 comments:
Hey Pi Bani,
You are not an ikan bilis blogger. Am always humbled by your work and insights. Sometimes, my eyes get moist; sometimes you make me laugh.
Pi,
I hope the authorities will take a much serious approach towards crime against children (maybe all crime) now that the whole nation has raised the hue and cry over this despicable act on Nurin.
Minor disturbances shouldnt be too high on their list of priorities.
technology has come so far that a few months back the police in canada has even turned to YouTube to help find suspect too! so y not, can always rally as much malaysian bloggers together and start the NURIN alert (im presuming you're talking about cases in malaysia?)
Put to good use the 'media' and PiBani, ure more than an 'ikan bilis'! ur words reach farther and wider than you might imagine :)
Have a great week ahead Pi bani
Pi,
I am certainly all for it! This can save children;s lives.
I agree that we need some kind of an alert programme for missing children. As I mentioned on Princess Journals' blog, starting a programme is one thing. The authorities have to be gung-ho about making it work.
Pi, you are not an ikan bilis blogger. Your sharings about the work you do have touched more people than you know. You are an inspiration.
Hi&lo,
OK lah, maybe not so small, but still ikan bilis compared to all the big-name bloggers... :)
Zawi,
I just hope this thing will not simply cool down just like that without anything concrete being done to protect our children.
Winnie,
I sure hope the authorities would see the importance of this Nurin Alert (or whatever they want to call it). With all the advances in technology, surely there is a way to have some sort of networking to nab criminals.
Kak Ena,
Let's make our voices heard. YES to NURIN Alert!
JT,
I agree with you, setting up the programme is one thing. Making it work is another. But we must start somewhere and we must keep on pushing to make it work!
Good morning Pi Bani,
Let's do it. Pass the word around or mention it on your blogs. Email whoever you know who can do something about. Go for it bloggers. Thanks Pi Bani.
Yes to Nurin Alert!
I say yes to NURIN alert as well. So...now what is the next step?
-niasulaiman-
Ooooo Kak Pi,
I miss Kak Putri too.
I'm all for NURIN alert!
Tembam,
You're doing a great job promoting Nurin Alert on your blog. Let's hope more bloggers will rally to support this cause. Come on bloggers!
Niasulaiman,
Next step? Let's hope our voices are heard by the authorities. Thanks for your support.
Kina,
Ahh, you know arwah Kak Putri too? Through your aunt I suppose?
Helo Pi,
I am all for it too. First thing i will do is write to my Parliamentarian regarding this matter. Maybe he can bring it up in his cabinet meeting.
Nightwing,
Way to go! Let's try to do whatever little that we can to get things going. Thanks Nightwing!
AYE! AYE!
1 of ur commenter asked whts next after nurin alert. id say, WE all must make sure the system works. relying on the authority alone or expecting other ppl to do something is a no-no mentality. like i said before, if everybody is expecting OTHER ppl to do something then obviously nothing will be done.
thanks for mentioning my blog Pi. and ur no ikan-bilis!
sickos are always out there on the prowl. its never safe i tell ya. i'm all for NURIN alert nonetheless, altho it may not prevent completely, but good enough if this method can reduce such cases to a close zero.
i say AYE to NURIN alert.
Typhoon Sue,
Thanks for your support!
Princessjournals,
I think what the earlier commenter meant was what's the next step in getting the authorities to adopt the system. Of course, I totally agree with you we ALL have to play our roles in making the system work once it is put in place.
Kerp,
The Amber Alert system has been proven with its high success rate. As a matter of fact, five years after California began using the Amber Alert child abduction warning system in 2002, state officials say it had achieved 100 per cent success rate with 131 missing children rescued alive. Not only that, the number of alerts issued gradually dropped over the years as the warning system may have had a deterrent effect.
People may call us copycats if they want, but if the system works, why not kan? So, YES to Nurin Alert! Thanks Kerp.
kak pi,
100% success rate? sounds good and if the system is implemented here in malaysia, it will definitely be a successful. after all, california is like what, 3 times bigger than peninsular, right?
the only question now is whether the gomen is game to adopt this system instead of spending millions on PDAs for every single cop in the country.
Kerp,
Let's be positive about this. We have to try and get the gomen to adopt this system. We won't know if we don't try, right? And if the gomen agrees to it, we must then all play our roles to make it work.
Totally agreed with the NURIN alert. Insha' Allah, this will come into fruition.
Pisces Man,
Thanks for the support. Would appreciate if you could spread the word to garner more support. Thanks again!
Perhaps you might want to display on your blog the police fotokit of the suspects.
I like your blog.
From: Zee's mum
Zee's mum,
Thanks. Done that.
Agree with Nurin alert.Good idea!
Pi Bani, orang Ipoh ni cepat betoi na. Depa tak tunggu teruih dah post kat blog pasal TELL magazine. Syabas sistah. You da best!
Tembam,
Sekadar nak update kat blog, tak kira lah orang Ipoh ke orang KL ke. Ciluk aje gambar dari blog orang lain, update lah kat blog sendiri... ;)
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