Enough homes for abused children

'Enough homes for abused children'

SITI NURSURAYA ALI

Thursday, July 28th, 2011 12:20:00

PETALING JAYA: The Welfare Services Department (JKM) has enough shelter homes for abused children, says its public relations officer Nurul Insyirah Mohd Ishak.

She was commenting on an incident on July 15 when a JKM staff in Subang told a family that their shelters for abused children are all full.

"It is the department's responsibility to accept children at any time. We have enough homes for abused children," Nurul told The Malay Mail.

"We urge the family to file an official complaint for us to investigate further."

Nurul said not all abused children are placed in shelter homes.

"In some cases, the abused children may be better off staying with a relative or another family member," she said, adding that some abused or neglected children are temporarily placed at shelter homes while awaiting a court order in appointing a guardian.

"In urgent cases, we quickly take the child away from the abuser while providing the necessary protection and medical care."

Nurul said children who need protection are also placed in private shelter homes run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) registered with JKM.

"Currently, there are 1,240 children under the protective custody at 11 shelter homes around the country," she said.

"The number of child abuse and neglected reports has increased, from 1,197 cases in 2008, more than doubling to 2,789 in 2009, and 2,960 last year."

Nurul said to combat the increasing number of child abuse and neglect cases, JKM launched Talian Nur 15999 to encourage public tip-offs.

"We investigate each tip-off and take the appropriate action, including temporarily placing an endangered child in a shelter home," she said, adding that JKM has also established a child protection team.

"We also have a Kami Prihatin programme to create greater public awareness on being pro-active on child abuse and neglect."

Easy on the disabled

Easy on the disabled

LRT stations plan facilities for the handicapped

IKRAM ISMAIL

Friday, July 22nd, 2011 12:28:00

UPLIFTING: Arnold demonstrates using a wheel chair on the platform lift — Pic: Samsul Said

AMPANG: There are close to 15,000 disabled persons (OKU) travelling the Ampang Line LRT every month since the service was introduced in 1996.

This was a long time for them to go without proper facilities when commuting on the LRT.

To ensure the disabled have equal rights to proper facilities, Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) has undertaken upgrading works since February of last year.

Prasarana infrastructure development group director Nor Hassan Ismail, said RM60 million was allocated to build disabled-friendly facilities at the 24 stations along the Ampang Line.

However, he said the upgrading work should have been done some 10 years ago.

"I admit when the Ampang line was taking route, not enough consideration was given to make the stations disabled-friendly," he said after taking newsmen on a tour of the newly-upgraded Cempaka station yesterday.

Besides Cempaka station, upgrading works at the Pandan Jaya station was completed last March. Cahaya and Pandan Indah stations are nearcompletion soon.

The other stations include Plaza Rakyat, Maluri, Miharja, Chan Sow Lin, Pudu, Cheras, Sentul, Salak South, Bandar Tun Razak, Sentul Timur, Sg Besi, Bukit Jalil, Sri Petaling, Ampang, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Bandaraya, Sultan Ismail and PWTC.

New disabled-friendly facilities were incorporated into stations were ramps, lifts, platform wheelchair lifts, tactile floors for the blind and proper toilets.

Other facilities for members of the public include escalators, surau and rain protectors to ensure commuters' comfort.

Nor Hassan said the upgrading process was targeted to be completed next year.

"Our main challenge in upgrading the stations while people were still using them."

Earlier, Euro Asia Access Solutions managing director Richard Arnold demonstrated to the Press and the public the use of the platform wheelchair lift. The company is responsible for providing disabled-friendly facilities at the stations.

Meanwhile, when asked on special coaches for the OKUs, Nor Hassan said they do not have plans for that yet.

"Our focus now is completing the upgrading work. Currently, the disabled are held in the coach behind the LRT driver," he said, adding if there is a need to group OKUs together in a coach, station staff can arrange for them to be placed in one coach for their convenience.