Our first service dog, a golden retriever just passed away at 10.30am on 06/11/2011 (Today) this morning in our centre. He was almost 11 years old.
We are very sad and it made us cry more .
This has been harder than we thought and we miss him so much.
Today was the hardest day of our life. We lost our best friend and a close family member.
Rumah Victory sealedPETALING JAYA: The Rumah Victory Children Home in Taman United here, was sealed this afternoon by the Social Welfare Department for failing to register with the department as required under Section 5(1) of the Care Centres Act 1993.
ILLEGAL: The Rumah Victory Children Home was sealed by the Social Welfare Department at 3pm today and is now off-limits (below). — Pics: Salhani Ibrahim
The action taken by the department was in accordance with Section 16A (1) of the Act, which awards complete authority to the department's director-general or any officer to take immediate action, following a care centre's failure to comply with the minimum requirements set.
Rumah Victory's caretaker, Chong Kok Hong, signed the notice issued by the department to seal the home at 3pm today.
The department had previously sent a notice on Tuesday to give inmates and staff alike ample time to vacate the home. Since the notice was issued, the children have been taken away by their parents, while those without parents have been transferred to other shelter homes under the welfare department's supervision.
Kuala Lumpur Welfare Department director Noormah Rauh, who was present today, said: "The home failed to comply with the three basic regulations set by the Fire and Rescue Department, the Health Department and the local authority.
"It's important for the home to be registered to ensure it fulfills minimum standards pertaining to the ratio of carer and residents, adequate space for inmates, nutrition as well as suitability of activities," she added.
"To date, we have identified 266 shelter homes which are unregistered. Out of these, 236 are still in the application process. Only 30 homes have had their registration approved."
For being unregistered, shelter homes can face a minimum fine of RM10,000 or two years imprisonment, or both, if convicted.
In addition, the homes can also be fined up to RM1,000 daily, under Subsection 5(2) of the Care Centres Act 1993, if they fail to comply with the minimum standards as mentioned above.
SIGNED: Chong signing the notice as a welfare officer looks on earlier today
Another spokesman from the welfare department said the inmates and their parents were upset after finding out about the home's situation. The parents had high hopes for Rumah Victory to nurture their children, but it failed in the effort.
On Tuesday, The Malay Mail reported the home's supervisor was also allegedly involved with the sexual crimes and physical abuse of underaged boys at Rumah Victory, in addition to the conducts of an award-winning ex-Press photographer, who first revealed the alleged sexual crimes at the home.
Checks on the supervisor's background showed a past record for a drug-related offense.
Noormah said operators or management of shelter homes must take necessary measures in properly screening its staff and volunteers, and that behavioural protocols are put in place to ensure a safe environment for inmates, in regards to some staff members not being evaluated at all.
Rumah Victory is also being investigated after the ex-photographer revealed on Monday that the home had been involved in serious sexual conducts involving the staff at the home which houses 21 boys from the age of nine to 15.
Confessed sexual predator gets treatmentIn response to The Malay Mail cover story yesterday that the 53-year-old ex-newspaper cameraman was a “walking time bomb”, City CID chief SAC II Datuk Ku Chin Wah said: “Legally, we cannot hold him longer than necessary. We only realised his depression and tendency to commit suicide after his confession when he met with DSP Choo Lily (head, sexual investigation department) again yesterday evening.
“We have referred him to the hospital for psychiatrist evaluation.”
Police sent the man, who admitted to molesting at least 10 boys aged nine to 14 while working as a volunteer at the children’s and youth renewal life centre, off Jalan Klang Lama, to Hospital Kuala Lumpur about 3pm.
He will undergo tests at the psychiatric unit where doctors will evaluate and attempt to treat him to competency.
A psychiatrist said competency refers to an individual’s ability to understand “the seriousness, the nature and the severity” of the case against him.
The Paper That Cares had bared the ex-Pressman’s potentially explosive state of mind following an email from him to the paper’s editor-at-large, Frankie D’Cruz.
In seeking psychiatric care, he wrote about life in “isolation” and the nightmares he was enduring, saying “my brain is going to explode any moment”.
He expressed his fears just as child abuse experts, child sex activists and psychiatrists raised questions on why the man had been released on unconditional police bail and left to fend for himself.
They also asked why authorities failed to respond to his plea for psychiatric treatment after voluntarily making a police statement last Saturday.
They were also concerned the man could interfere with witnesses and victims as he was left free without any police monitoring.
The ex-Pressman had made disturbing revelations that he abused the boys under his care between early last year and July this year at the centre.
The confessed homosexual first made the sobering disclosures to D’Cruz, who subsequently lodged a police report against him.
Three boys have to date confirmed they were sexually abused by him.
The ex-photographer, now a webmaster with a multinational, is being investigated under Sections 354 and 377e of the Penal Code that carry punishments ranging between seven and 10 years and whipping.
Section 354 relates to assault or use of criminal force against a person with intent to outrage modesty while the other pertains to inciting a child to an act of gross indecency.
DETAINED: The Rumah Victory supervisor escorted by a police officer to KL police headquartersKUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained another man in connection with the Rumah Victory scandal, involving sexual crimes and physical abuse of underaged boys.
Federal police CID deputy director Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the man, a supervisor at the children’s and youth renewal life centre, off Jalan Klang Lama, had been remanded until Nov 6.
The suspect, 42, was being investigated under the Children Act 2001 for child abuse.
The Welfare Department is expected to seal the premises, a bungalow in Jalan Sepakat 8, today.
Children who have parents will be returned to their families while those without were transferred to shelter homes under the supervision of the Welfare Department.
It is learnt the suspect was detained after his statement was recorded at Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Tuesday.
Checks on his background showed he had a previous record for a drug-related offence.
A 17-year- old resident of Rumah Victory was also released after his statement was recorded.
Police interviewed all 21 residents of the home to determine the extent of the crimes, which also includes allegations of the boys being used as drug runners and drug trafficking at the centre.
The police swung into action after an ex-newspaper cameraman made stunning revelations he sexually abused boys at the centre.
The man, who is also a student acupuncturist, also spoke of alleged voyeurism involving a staff who photographed boys bathing and moving bowels.
Allegations of naked photos of boys also surfaced.
A staff member also allegedly forced a nine-year-old boy to masturbate in front of other children recently.
A donor was alleged to have been allowed to take two boys on a rendezvous from morning till night against the home’s regulations. The centre was managed by ex-drug addicts.
A positive attitude can work wonders for one’s well-being.
LETCHUMY Krishnan, 25, is one of the most active residents of the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor. She cleans, cooks, sews, makes handicraft items and does the weekly grocery.
However, Letchumy, a wheelchair user, wasn’t like this when she was living with her mother in Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam.
Letchumy was born on April 1 at the General Hospital in Klang. She was joined from the head with her twin sister. The surgeons wasted no time in separating the conjoined babies. Sadly, Letchumy’s sister died three months later.
By then Letchumy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Her distraught father abandoned her.
“Dad left us when I needed him the most,” Letchumy said.
Letchumy’s mum, however. never gave up on her little girl. With her meagre income from packing drinks at a factory, she continued to support her children. She enrolled Letchumy at a Tamil school near their home. As they had no car, a friend offered to transport her daughter to school. Class attendance, however, was irregular depending on whether there was transport.
Letchumy was able to walk with some support. As a student with a disability, Letchumy was unable to use the school toilet as it did not have disabled-friendly features. She was excused from assembly and sports which she loved so much.
Letchumy stopped schooling after the doctors did an operation to improve her condition. The operation left her worse off when she lost some sensation in her limbs.
Letchumy soon found herself confined to her flat, which was on the third floor. “It was a lonely life. There were no lifts in my flat, so I couldn’t get out and make friends.”
One day, Letchumy and her mother were listening to RTM’s Radio Six, when a special live interview programme with several disabled activists came on.
One of them was Francis Siva, president of ILTC.
“My mum and I couldn’t believe our ears when we heard that disabled people were leading useful lives at the ILTC,” said Letchumy. She enrolled at the centre within two days.
“Suddenly, a whole new world opened up for me,” said Letchumy.
Letchumy learnt to speak English and Bahasa Malaysia. She also learnt to use a computer for the first time.
“I want to focus on starting a new life. My mum is proud of my achievements,” said Letchumy.
Letchumy is looking for employment outside the centre. If you can help, call ILTC at % 03-6091 2531 or e-mail: iltcmalaysia@gmail.com.
Happy Deepavali to all the members/friends of ILTC Malaysia.
May the light that we celebrate at Deepavali show us the way and lead us together on the path of peace, harmony, happiness and prosperity.
For those who are travelling back to hometowns, have a safe journey.
"Annaivarukkum Yengalin Idhayam Kanitha Deepavali Nal Valthughal"
"அனைவருக்குà®®் எங்கள் இதயங்கனிந்த தீபாவளி நல்வாà®´்த்துகள்"
Regards,
President ILTC Malaysia.
Care centre staff's remand order extendedPETALING JAYA: The 28-year-old welfare home staff who was remanded for seven days to assist police investigation into the murder case of a 19-year-old autistic teenager was extended for seven more days.
Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Arjunaidi Mohamad, said the remand order would end on Nov 9 as further investigation was still needed.
"We are on the verge of completing the investigation and it will only be complete with a report from the Chemistry Department which will include a health report of the deceased," he told The Malay Mail this morning.
Autistic teenager Brian Goh Kah Heng was found dead at a care centre for special people at Section 18, here, last month.
A post-mortem revealed Goh was a victim of abuse. He had severe bruises on various parts of his body, including extensive damage to his liver.
It was also reported that there were signs of sodomy.
The case has been classified as murder.
Rumah victory sex abuse scandal: Shelter pleads ignorance
gnorant of the sexual abuse which had allegedly taken place at the shelter for troubled and abandoned boys since early last year. When The Malay Mail visited the home yesterday, the inmates and the caretakers seemed unaware of the allegations which a former newspaper photographer had confessed to and we had frontpaged yesterday.
Rumah Victory supervisor Loh Chee Onn, who has been at the shelter since it opened in 2008, admitted the photographer had previously been a volunteer at the home.
But the photographer, in his fifties, was asked to leave in June after some falling out with the management.
Loh declined to reveal more information claiming the shelter's management were not allowed by the authorities to discuss the matter as they were waiting to conduct a full investigation.
He also denied any previous reports of sexual harassment by volunteers at the shelter, but claimed to have heard of a complaint six years back of a child being sexually abused at another shelter.
When The Paper That Cares spoke to some of the boys, they seemed content living at the shelter.
Four boys agreed to be interviewed and they denied there had been any wrongdoings at the place.
The eldest was Chong Li Sian, 15, who said: "So far, no one has ever bullied me. I enjoy my stay here and I've been with Rumah Victory for the past six years. I have had no trouble. The caretakers are good and we also have regular meals."
Chong said he was sent to Rumah Victory by his mother after his father passed away six years ago. His crippled mom was unable to take care of him and was forced to seek help to raise her son.
While the other children declined to be named or reveal their background, the youngest, a nine-year-old, said they were all Methodist Christians at the boys' home and he enjoyed going regularly to the church in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur on Sundays.
There are two caretakers at the shelter, a man and a woman, which now houses 21 boys, aged nine to 15.
The woman caretaker, in her 40s, declined to be interviewed. But other caretaker, Chong Kok Hong, 34, admitted to being a reformed drug addict.
Since joining the home over a year ago, he cooks the meals and drives the boys to school and back.
"I used to be a bad person, but religion saved me. I converted to Christianity while at the drug rehabilitation centre."
Drawing from his experience, he denied allegations reportedly made by the photographer about the shelter boys being used as drug mules. "We do not use the boys to do something we do not believe in."
PERSATUAN Persaudaraan Kristian Rumah Victory founder Philip Mok has confirmed the boys’ home is unlicensed but he says the management has complied with the Social Welfare Department's requirements.
Mok claimed to have submitted the required applications in 2008 and wondered what more the authorities needed to grant them a licence.
Rumah Victory administrative head Grace Tan said the association was duly registered with the Registrar of Societies and entitled to operate several shelters it now had, including an old folk’s home, drug rehabilitation centres in Semenyih, Seremban and Malacca, and several training centres for youths.
In light of The Malay Mail frontpaged report of alleged sexual abuse by a former newspaper photographer yesterday, she said Rumah Victory was cooperating fully with authorities in their investigations.
She also said Rumah Victory would vet all volunteers before allowing them to care for the children. "We strongly believe there is a need to check on volunteers because we cannot easily trust people nowadays."
Meanwhile, Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Meme Zainal Rashid said registration under the Care Centre Act 1993 was required for all shelters.
She said such an approval was given only after the operator had obtained the approval from the Fire and Rescue Department, the Health Department and the local authority.
The shelter has to also fulfil certain minimum standards pertaining to the ratio of carer and residents, adequate space for inmates, nutrition and suitability of activities.
"If the centre's registration has not been approved by the Welfare Department, it would mean all or some of these requirements were not met."
But Meme was unable to state exactly what requirements Rumah Victory had failed to comply with.
"We will have to investigate Rumah Victory of their non-compliance status. We will take legal action if necessary."
Currently, 355 shelters have been registered with the department and are listed on its website.
Meme said operators or management of shelters for children must take measures to ensure staff and volunteers were properly screened and behavioural protocols put in place to ensure a safe environment.
"Staff must also be trained to detect children who have been abused so that necessary intervention can be taken to stop the abuse. All these are part of a Child Protection Policy the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has been promoting since its was approval in July last year."
PETALING JAYA: Sponsors of Persatuan Persaudaraan Kristian Rumah Victory are shocked by allegations of sexual abuse at one of the shelters.
Pearl International Hotel public relations manager Karen Tan, said they had been working closely with the children's home for the past three years. "The last time we worked with them was early this year. The children seemed to be doing fine and looked happy."
She said the hotel's management would have to review whether to continue supporting Rumah Victory if the allegations were found true. "We are shocked."
A spokesman for Parkson Pavilion also expressed shock and said they would review their support for Rumah Victory. "We are very surprised. We really did not see this coming."
MCA publicity deputy chief Loh Seng Kok said: "The police should move swiftly to conduct a thorough investigation."
He also urged the Welfare Department to do their part as well.
Submitted by ayu on Monday, November 1st, 2010 KUALA LUMPUR: An award-winning former Press photographer has confessed to sexual crimes involving at least 10 boys aged between nine and 14 at an unlicensed children’s home here following an investigation by The Malay Mail.
At least three of the boys told city police sexual investigation division officers yesterday they were sexually exploited by the 53-year-old man.
The man, an ex-employee of a newspaper, has maintained he did not sodomise any of his victims.
He is expected to be arrested today.
Sexual crime officers yesterday interviewed nine boys from Rumah Victory – a children’s and youth renewal life centre, off Jalan Klang Lama - following a report lodged by me against the former Pressman on Saturday.
The boys were taken from the home to city police headquarters yesterday afternoon. They were sent back after their statements were recorded.
The remaining boys at the home, where there are 21 residents aged between nine and 16, will also be interviewed to determine sexual and physical abuse.
Police will also question certain centre staff who have also been accused of committing degrading and indecent acts on boys there.
A two-week investigation by The Malay Mail blew the lid off the scandal involving sexual abuse of boys allegedly dating back to 2005.
The ex-photographer revealed he committed the crimes while serving as a volunteer at the boys’ home between early 2009 and July this year.
A student acupuncturist, he claimed the home supervisor often asked him to stay overnight in the centre to take care of the children when all staff were away.
He said he molested two of the boys at his home, off Jalan Kuchai Lama here. He watched a porn movie with one of them before molesting him.
The man also spoke of alleged incidents of Peeping Tom involving one staff who photographed boys bathing and moving bowels.
Allegations of naked photos of boys in circulation also surfaced.
A staff member also allegedly forced a nine-year-old boy to masturbate in front of other children recently.
A donor was also alleged to have been allowed to take two boys on a rendezvous from morning till night against the home’s regulations.
The man also made allegations of drug abuse and trafficking at the centre, which is managed by ex-drug addicts.
The police swung into action following the report lodged by me on Saturday evening at Petaling police station.
In my report, I had asked the police to investigate admissions of a string of sexual abuses against boys at the centre made to me by the man in the course of The Malay Mail probe.
The man turned up shortly after at the same police station on his own accord to have his statement recorded after I informed him that I had made a report against him.
In his statement, he said he was making the admissions as he regretted committing the indecent acts as a volunteer.
He requested for immediate psychiatric evaluation and stated he wanted the children whom he had abused to be taken away from the home and receive counselling.
He also feared he was going to be blackmailed by certain people at the centre who he claimed had photographs and video of him molesting the children.
Police were told he did not record his exploits and the boys were not paid for the sexual favours.
He was then released and the matter was referred to city police headquarters.
Officials of Persatuan Persaudaraan Kristian Rumah Victory, which operates Rumah Victory Children’s Home, are co-operating with authorities in the investigation.
THE ex-Press photographer, who is single and a confessed homosexual, was a popular sports and news photographer with a daily in the late 1980s and 1990s.
He told police he had had gay relationships since 1990s and currently worked for one of Malaysia's leading multinational corporations in the information technology department.
He had first gone to the children’s home in December 2008 to enquire whether they wanted old personal computers from his office.
Early last year, he became a volunteer and developed and maintained the home’s website. He also helped out with other chores in and out of the home.
He left the home last September after an apparent misunderstanding with certain staff.
Submitted by ayu on Monday, November 1st, 2010 
HE felt he was in deep sin. He said he was having nightmares about his sexual contact with boys.
He wanted to acknowledge his crimes and apologise to those he hurt or betrayed, the minors he touched inappropriately and the parents who trusted him with their children.
Single and aged 53, the award-winning former Press photographer said he wanted to change the way he lived and make amends to face society when the nightmare ended.
This was the plea of a confessed child molester who sought my assistance to surrender to the police and receive psychiatric care for sexually abusing at least 10 boys.
The boys, aged between nine and 14, are all residents of Rumah Victory, a children’s and youth renewal life centre, off Jalan Klang Lama.
The ex-Pressman was a volunteer at this centre from early 2009 to mid-September this year.
I have known him since the 1980s when he was a photographer with a newspaper and I was then news editor of The Malay Mail and later in the early 90s of the NST’s metro section City X-Tra.
After my last contact with him more than a year ago, he called me on Oct 13 offering an exclusive on “horror” stories at Rumah Victory.
It had all the ingredients of a major scandal involving alleged sexual, physical and mental abuse, minors running drugs, blackmail, photographs of boys in the nude, gay relationships and charity scams.
He said there were 21 boys at the home aged between nine and 16 - more than half of whom are from "normal" - with parents - families.
On Oct 14, he sent me an e-mail, providing details about the alleged activities and I initiated an investigation.
I then met him few days later with a 16-year-old boy who had both come to “tell-all”. It was here that he confessed to molesting boys at the home.
At a discussion on another day, he admitted molesting seven boys aged between nine and 14 and disclosed startling revelations and allegations.
On Oct 25, he sent me an e-mail giving names of eight boys and details of the indecent acts. The number of victims rose to 10 when he remembered two more names when his police statement was being recorded.
Eight of the incidents, he said, occurred at the home when he stayed there overnight to take care of the children when all staff were away.
Two more cases took place in his house, off Jalan Kuchai Lama – one after watching a porn movie.
In that same e-mail he also claimed certain staff, whose names he listed, had also sexually abused some 10 children there from 2005 till this year.
He claimed one man used money to lure at least three boys for sexual purposes.
Given the seriousness of the matter, I decided to make a police report against my ex-colleague on Saturday.
I also handed over to the police numerous e-mail, totalling more than 20,000 words, that he had sent me.
When I informed him that I had made a report against him, he came forward voluntarily to give a statement to the police.
The statement also included allegations of boys at the centre being used as drug runners and drug trafficking activities.
He feared he was going to be blackmailed by certain people at the centre who he claimed had photographs and video of him molesting the children.
Claiming to have been sexually abused from age seven by neighbourhood kids and adults who later gave him sweets, he sought my assistance to surrender to the police, saying he did not want the boys to turn out like him in their latter years.
He disclosed that in the 1990s, he trawled the Internet and secured gay sex dates after a failed relationship with his girlfriend.
For a person who indulged in indecent liberties and who faces serious sexual crime charges, turning himself over to the police was a rare sight.
He made his intentions clear to me during interviews and in an e-mail, he said: “Please save the children fast. I will surrender to the police without any condition.”
In another e-mail, he wrote: “Please suggest a date/balai (police station) for me to surrender. Please save these souls fast.”
Clearly, his confession is bound to be viewed by many as an attempt to gain favour with the police, the court, community and the victims’ families.
The families of the boys will obviously react with disgust because of the extent of betrayal this volunteer has exacted upon them.
Their rage would be understandable because, to them, this man gained the trust and loyalty of kids – and then preyed on them.
Still, the boys’ parents would now be left to wonder why they found nothing suspicious with their kids.
Frankie D'Cruz is editor-at-large of The Malay Mail. The multiple award-winning journalist can be contacted at frankie@mmail.com.my
Tuesday November 2, 2010IT might have been a late Hari Raya gathering for some and for others, an early Deepavali celebration.
Thank you: Francis (in wheelchair) receiving donation from an association.
Whatever the case, it was certainly an eagerly awaited moment for hundreds of disabled people who braved a downpour recently and made it to the Sri Mahamariamman Temple Devasthanam in Batu Caves, Selangor.
The occasion? A one-of-a-kind DeepaRaya get-together for the disabled community.
The three-hour event was jointly organised by the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor and the Mariamman Temple management board.
Let’s shake it: The children of the disabled performing a dance at the event.The temple hall, where the gathering was held, started filling up quickly from 7pm.
Petpositive president Anthony Thanasayan was also present at the event.
Never an obstacle: Two performers in wheelchairs dancing to a song.
Within an hour, the hall became so crowded, the organisers had to create an al fresco sitting and dining area for the others guests outside the hall.
ILTC president Francis Siva said that he was happy to see many of the disabled members from the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur attend the event despite the bad weather.
“This is the first time we have done something like this with the Batu Caves temple authorities.
He said the temple authorities were so surprised by the turnout, that they were already thinking of having a similar event next year.
As many as 10 companies came forward to sponsor the DeepaRaya event. The main sponsor was Sports Toto Malaysia with McDonald’s Malaysia donating 300 burgers.
Welfare, Women’s Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Rodziah Ismail came up with the second biggest financial assistance.
Performances were by the disabled who presented wheelchair dances.
Children of the disabled also joined in the performance and did their part in entertaining the crowd.
