I REFER to your report on Kids at playgrounds easily duped into following reporter aroundin The Star, Jan 21. It is indeed very disturbing to find such incidents happening again and again.

I still see a lot of young children being left unattended while their parents are shopping or while at the playground.

Hence, I welcome the proposal of setting up a “1child watch”as suggested by the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

No doubt a lot has been said (and done) for safety of young children of late, however, the commitment of parents, guardians and authorities seems to fade once the cases are not highlighted.

Take putting up CCTVs in public areas for instance. Why wasn’t this implemented much earlier, perhaps when Nazrin (or Adik Yin) went missing in Sogo, or when Nurin’s body was found?

Or maybe when a lot of (sexual and kidnap) cases in the past involving young children occurred?

Yes, children should be taught safety and how to deal with the many real dangers around them.

But my concern is how do parents and related agencies teach children this without making them overtly and constantly being suspicious of everybody they meet?

Proper guidelines and teaching should be highlighted, as these things, although they might look mundane and insignificant, can really affect children.

Like Lee, it is also my hope that everyone will work with one mind and get the perpetrators before they strike again.

NAZREEN,

Mersing, Johor.

Source: The Star – January 22, 2008