In Memory of Nurin Jazlin

Cops to keep Nurin and Sharlinie cases open

2009-01-19T07:46:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will never close the files on the murder of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin in 2007 and the abduction of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar last year.

“We have never closed old cases until they are considered completed. This means we will continue looking for the suspects and finding new leads,” Selangor police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said during a meet-the-residents session at Taman Muda, Ampang yesterday.

Nurin was reported missing while on her way to the night market near her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju on Aug 20, 2007. Her naked body was found stuffed in a sports bag and left in the stairwell of a shoplot in Petaling Jaya a month later. Five-year-old Sharlinie was reported missing while playing outside her house in Taman Medan on Jan 9, 2008, not far from where Nurin’s body was found.

Both the high-profile cases are believed to be linked to the Kampung Baru molester.

DCP Khalid said police needed time to gather additional information and details to complete their investigations in certain cases.

“Not all cases can be completed quickly because in some we need extra and more detailed information,” he said.

- The Star

IGP: New effort on Nurin video

2008-12-23T08:54:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have not forgotten Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, the 8-year-old girl who was abducted and brutally murdered last year.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said yesterday police were relying on a new technological breakthrough for fresh leads in the case.

A new party had recently approached the force, offering its help to use the latest technology to enhance the images contained in an essential closed-circuit television camera recording.

"Previously, we had given the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation the recording of a motorcycle that was last seen at the place where Nurin's body was abandoned," he said.

"As you know, FBI's attempt to enhance clarity of the motorcycle's registration number was unsuccessful.

"But a new party has approached us offering help in doing the same thing, saying they have the latest technology to enhance the same image."

Speaking after opening the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry's campaign at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here yesterday, Musa said the new party was expected to complete its work soon.

On the Ride for Change campaign undertaken by the Marginalised People's Network (Jerit), Musa described the participants as hypocrites.

"If you are fighting for democracy in a civilised nation and if you have a problem, then you should solve it through discussions, not through demonstration.

"For me, this is not democracy but 'democrazy'... crazy to hold demonstrations."

- New Straits Times

Missing children alert system ready

2008-11-25T22:25:00.000+08:00

By : Evangeline Majawat

KUALA LUMPUR: The early alert system for missing children is already in place but it is not called Nurin Alert, after Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who was found brutally murdered last year.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said a mechanism similar to Nurin Alert was already in place.

"I've said it clearly that the name 'Nurin Alert' is not in our programme or part of our plans on child protection. But the whole mechanism and processes from A to Z have been discussed and is already in place," she said.

The so-called "Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network" (Nurin Alert) was first mooted last year, four months after the broken body of 8-year-old Nurin was found.

She had been sexually assaulted, murdered and her body stuffed into a gym bag.

The mechanism was modelled after the United States' Amber alert -- an emergency response system that galvanises the authorities and the community to locate missing children.

Dr Ng said the yet to be named emergency response mechanism was a major component of the proposed Child Protection Policy.

"We didn't use the name Nurin Alert. America used Amber Alert. We have not decided."

Dr Ng stressed that numerous meetings between her ministry, the police and non-governmental organisations had been held to realise the mechanism.

However, she pointed out that it was up to the police to act first in a missing child case.

"In our intense desire to save children, we must know what is the best mechanism to do so. The first thing to do when a child goes missing is to make a police report.

"We can't instruct the police on what to do. It is a police matter and they know how to handle it."

Dr Ng said it was inappropriate to "splash the news of a missing child in newspapers for the first few hours".

"This creates panic and they (kidnappers) may kill the child," she said.

On the task force investigating the alleged abuse of Penan women and girls, she said the outcome of the investigation would be made public next month.

"We'll leave no stone unturned. There is nothing to hide in this case.

"I will even go to the extent of saying that if we need to test the DNA of the child to find out who the father is, we will do that."

- New Straits Times

A mother's agony

2008-11-11T18:54:00.003+08:00

The New Straits Times carried the following article on 14th September 2008. Dearth of latest developements on Sharlinie and Asmawi, perhaps this article can remind us that there are more than the two missing children in Malaysia currently. One of them is Syed Ahmad Kushairi Syed Jamal.

FOUR years have passed since her son's disappearance but a 47-year-old hospital attendant doesn't let each black cross on the calendar break her spirits.

Mum Taj Bagam Ab Razak still hopes to see her son.

"Yes, I believe if he's alive, he will come back. I'm waiting for that day."

Casting a glance out of the window of her low-cost flat in Ampang, Mum Taj recounted the Saturday when her youngest son got lost.

"That time, it was like today. Raining. He was riding his bicycle."

The family, among the last to move out of the squatter area in Lembah Jaya Selatan, Ampang, was busy packing up when at 3pm, they realised something amiss.

Eight-year-old Syed Ahmad Kushairi Syed Jamal didn't respond to calls.

His eldest sister went out in search for him, only to find the boy's bicycle lying by a monsoon drain.

Kushairi was cycling a few metres away from home for half an hour. That was the last his family saw of him.

A missing child report was lodged, the Fire and Rescue Services Department came and went, and Mum Taj has seen more than 30 bomoh.

A rescue officer told Mum Taj that from his experience, the boy didn't fall into a drain.

"I believe him, because Kushairi is afraid of water. Even in Sunway Lagoon, he didn't want to mandi. He'd hold on tight to us when he had to cross over some drains.

"I also know my son didn't follow a stranger because he's shy. He doesn't talk, play or go near any stranger."

All the shamans, said Mum Taj, told her that her son is alive.

"They told me, saudara ambik. Saudara sakit hati. Budak itu di tangan orang. Siapa takde anak."

(A relative took him away because of angst. The child is in someone's hands. Someone who is childless.)

Even before this revelation, Mum Taj's instinct told her the same.

A few more reports were lodged, the case was reclassified as abduction. Mum Taj has provided fresh information from time to time.

Calls to the police for updates all these years were always met with the response that they are too busy to meet us.

"People tell me not to worry since the bomoh said my son is being taken care of by someone. It's easy for people to say that. But I cannot live like that."

Mum Taj, who has four other children, is constantly worried about her son's welfare.

She doesn't know how well her son is treated, whether he has enough to eat.

"There's nothing much we can do but wait.

"In my dreams, my son hugs us and cries. He scolds us, asking why we never came and looked for him. It breaks my heart."
- New Straits Times

Ketengah help for Sharlinie's family

2008-09-21T22:30:00.007+08:00

Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain and his wife Suraya Ahmad building their house. At right is their daughter Sharliena.

DUNGUN: The Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah) will help complete the home of the family of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, the girl who went missing from her home in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, earlier this year.

The family had moved here earlier this month to find peace and security and to start a new life, and Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said has ordered Ketengah to aid them.

The family is staying at Sharlinie's paternal grandfather's house while waiting for their new home to be completed.

"I hope Ketengah can help complete the house as soon as possible to help ease the family's burden," said Ahmad, who is also Ketengah's chairman.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the family at Sharlinie's aunt's house in Kampung Padang Pulut. Also present was state Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za'abar Mohd Adib.

Ahmad added Ketengah would also look into other ways to help the family.

Sharlinie went missing from her home in Taman Medan in Petaling Jaya on Jan 9.

Sharlinie's father, Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, said Hari Raya celebrations this year would be a quiet affair as Sharlinie was not around.

"She was the most cheerful and loved to go to the Ramadan bazaars. She would also drag her siblings along to go out," he said, adding that Sharlinie loved otak-otak, rendang and lemang.

Mohd Nasar said a bomoh he contacted two weeks ago told them that his daughter was still alive and was in the country.

- NST

Murid tahun lima nyaris diculik

2008-09-18T23:26:00.009+08:00

BANDAR KINRARA - Selepas negara ini digemparkan dengan tiga kes penculikan kanak-kanak di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Selangor dan yang terbaru di Johor Bahru tahun ini, penduduk di sebuah pangsapuri kos rendah di sini pula gempar apabila seorang kanak-kanak lelaki nyaris diculik 9 September lalu.

Dalam kejadian kira-kira jam 7.13 malam, murid tahun lima dari sebuah sekolah berdekatan itu dikatakan sedang duduk bersendirian di tembok batu berdekatan pintu lif rumahnya.

Ibu mangsa yang enggan dikenali berkata, kejadian berlaku ketika umat Islam di negara ini sedang menunggu waktu berbuka puasa di rumah masing-masing.

Katanya, anaknya memaklumkan ketika duduk bersendirian di tembok batu itu, dia didatangi dua lelaki Melayu yang memeluk dari belakang dan memikulnya masuk ke dalam sebuah van berwarna putih.

Ujarnya lagi, dengan saiz tubuh badan yang kecil, kedua-dua lelaki itu dengan mudah mendukung anaknya dan menyumbatkannya ke dalam van menggunakan pintu belakang kenderaan itu.

“Dia yang tergamam dengan kejadian itu kemudian meronta-ronta di dalam van meminta dilepaskan tetapi permintaannya tidak diendahkan.

“Namun anak lelaki saya berjaya melepaskan diri apabila salah seorang daripada suspek memperlahankan van dipandunya kira-kira 100 meter dari tempat kejadian ketika melalui kawasan bazar Ramadan.

“Ketika salah seorang suspek memperlahankan kereta, anak saya yang berusia 11 tahun itu kemudian bertindak nekad membuka pintu tepi dan terus terjun keluar daripada van.

- Sinar Harian

Hiba Aidilfitri tanpa Nurin

2008-09-18T23:26:00.008+08:00

JAZIMIN dan keluarga menziarahi pusara Nurin di Gombak semalam.

KUALA LUMPUR - Luka di hati keluarga Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin (gambar kecil) masih belum sembuh sungguhpun telah genap setahun kanak-kanak malang yang berumur sembilan tahun itu dibunuh secara kejam oleh manusia yang tidak berhati perut.

Bagi Jazimin Abdul Jalil, 34, dan isterinya Norazian Bistaman, 36, luka di hati mereka masih berdarah dan kenangan terhadap anak kedua mereka itu terus segar terutama dalam menjalani ibadah puasa dan menjelang sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Ini merupakan kali kedua mereka menyambut hari raya tanpa kehadiran seorang insan dalam keluarga yang bergelar 'Kak Ngah' di kalangan empat adik beradik itu.

Sungguhpun pahit untuk ditelan, namun bagi Jazimin, isteri serta tiga lagi anak mereka, terpaksa merelakan pemergian Nurin dan redha dengan ketentuan Ilahi.

Syawal yang bakal menjelang tidak lama lagi, seakan-akan mengingatkan kembali gelagat Nurin semasa berpuasa dan ketika membuat persiapan menyambut hari raya, kata Jazimin ketika ditemui di rumahnya di PPR Ayer Panas, Setapak di sini semalam.

"Kalau diikutkan hati memang kami tak sanggup untuk beraya dengan ketiadaan Nurin tetapi kami ada anak-anak lain yang masih memerlukan perhatian... takkan kami nak terus mengikut perasaan hingga mengabaikan mereka," katanya sambil merujuk kepada tiga anak mereka iaitu Nurin Jazira, 10, Nurin Jazlina, 7, dan Nurin Jazlisa, 2."

Isterinya pula berkata hanya baju raya tahun lepas kepunyaan puteri keduanya itu yang masih disimpan dan ianya menjadi pengubat kerinduan buat mereka sekeluarga.

"Sebelum arwah hilang, kami ada buatkan dua pasang baju kurung untuk dia.

Salah satu adalah kain pilihannya sendiri. Beria-ia sangat dia nak pakai... Tapi tak sangka pula dia tak sempat bergaya dengan baju kurungnya itu.

"Biarlah baju ini disimpan. Tak nak beri pada kak long (anaknya yang sulung) walaupun dia boleh pakai. Biarlah mereka pakai baju mereka sendiri," katanya. - Bernama (Published by Kosmo Online)

Nurin Jazlin: One Year After

2008-09-17T21:40:00.014+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- One year ago today the battered body of little nine-year old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was found stuffed in a sports bag.

For her father, Jazimin Abdul Jalil, 34, and mother Norazian Bistaman, 36, the pain of losing for their second child lingers on as Hari Raya approaches.

This is the second time they commemorate the day without their second child nicknamed 'Kak Ngah'.

Nurin's parents and her three siblings have accepted her death as preordained by God.

Nevertheless, Hari Raya will bring back memories of her antics during the fasting month, said Jazimin when met by Bernama at his house at PPR Ayer Panas, Setapak here Wednesday.

"As parents, we do not feel we should be celebrating without Nurin. But we have other children who need our love, we should not go overboard with our grief that we ignore their needs," Jazimin said, referring to his surviving daughters Nurin Jazira, 10, Nurin Jazlina, 7, and Nurin Jazlisa, 2.

His wife has kept Nurin's last Hari Raya dress as remembrance.

Norazian recalled that Nurin liked to break her fast with Roti John (french bread with omelette and mincemeat) and kebab while her favourite Hari Raya dish was lemang (glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in bamboo) and rendang (meat cooked in coconut milk and spices).

"I still remember that Nurin was the easiest to wake up for sahur (pre-dawn meal before fasting), Nurin's mother said while caressing her dress.

Jazimin said that this year, the family will celebrate Hari Raya on a moderate scale. They will pay a visit to Nurin's grave before going back to his wife's hometown in Selama, Perak.

When asked about the legal suit that he had filed against the Inspector-General of Police and the government for casting aspersions that his daughter's disappearance was due to his alleged dealings with loan sharks, Jazimin said he was still waiting for the outcome.

According to him, winning or losing is immaterial; what's important is that he clears his reputation.

"I ask that people do not make wild speculations whenever a child goes missing and put the blame solely on the parents, without knowing what actually transpired," he said.

On Aug 20, last year Nurin, a year-two student of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak, was reported missing from her house in Section 1 Wangsa Maju.

Her body was found last year on this day, 27 days after her disappearance and post-mortem results indicated that she died as a result of sexual assault.

-- BERNAMA

This article is also carried in Malaysia Today and The Malaysian Insider. To read Malaysian Today readers' comments on the article, click here.

Sexual crimes a top priority

2008-09-15T22:00:00.003+08:00

MALAYSIA: SEXUAL crimes amounted to less than one per cent of the total missing children cases in the last five years but the authorities are leaving no stones unturned in their quest to bring these criminals to book.

For the first time, psychological studies on sexual offenders against children, who are still at large, will be done.

Profiling is the process of identifying the offender by understanding the nature of the offence and the way it was carried out.

The profile includes the motives, physical attributes, personality and behavioural tendencies.

Police had also announced that a registry of convicted paedophiles would be maintained.

"The number of sexual cases may be low but the nature of the crime is serious.

"We hope to make some inroads into finding who Nurin's perpetrator was," said ACP Suguram Bibi Munshi Deen, head of the sexual crimes and children division.

The murder of 8-year-old sexual victim Nurin Jazlin Jazimin shocked the nation last year.

Her ravaged body was found stuffed in a sports bag a month after the abduction.

The police are also finalising a standard operating procedure on the response system to missing children reports.

They no longer turn away parents or guardians who lodge a report less than 24 hours after a child has gone missing.

Suguram advised parents or guardians to provide as much information as possible, including the kind of clothes the child was wearing and his/her photographs because the first 48 hours after a child is missing are crucial to his/her safety.

"It's important we get accurate information.

"We have to make decisions on whether the child has been abducted, lost, has gotten into an accident or if the parents are lying to hide a crime against the child."

Suguram said these new policies and practices were in the pipeline even before Nurin's case.

Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, 5, abducted early this year in a playground near her house in Petaling Jaya has yet to be found.

Cases on children who are still missing will not be closed but the police can "discontinue investigating temporarily until fresh leads appear".

Suguram urged parents not to lose hope and to keep providing police with information on the child.

- New Straits Times/Asia News Network

Missing child warning system facing delay

2008-09-14T17:34:00.002+08:00

HOW long does it take to set up a missing child warning system in Malaysia?

One year and counting.

This is not at all surprising, considering there is little concerted effort put together for a machinery to push forward such a plan.

Following the public uproar over Nurin Jazlin Jazimin's disappearance last year, the child's uncle, Jasni Abdul Jalil, and a group of concerned citizens proposed a nationwide urgent response information network alert system, codenamed Nurin Alert.

The idea is to have a mechanism to activate information on missing children so that it reaches the public in the shortest time possible.

Today, the responsibility to make the alert a reality is still being shuttled among the group, the police and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

Jasni wanted the police to take ownership of the system, but the police said it was the ministry's initiative.

The ministry, however, has said the alert doesn't fall "under its hands".

A year ago, the reception wasn't so, Jasni recalled. The proposal was successfully put forward to former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Jasni said it was even incorporated into the drafting of the Child Protection Policy in the section on how to react to a missing child report.

Some ideas under the Nurin Alert were adopted during Sharlinie Mohd Nashar's disappearance, he said.

"When Sharlinie went missing, the authorities took the initiative to highlight the case and disseminate information to the public through TV stations and newspapers.

"If you go back to Nurin's time, that didn't happen. No attention was given. The news came out only after the third day. By then anything could have happened.

"But with Sharlinie, the reaction was instantaneous.

"We want a standard operating procedure on how the issue of missing children should be handled.

"We don't want it to be made based on discretion. It should be clearly laid out."

Part of the suggestions put up by the group is that in the event of a missing child report, the police would have to decide quickly whether to put out a nationwide information alert.

The Nurin Alert could be triggered, without the need for parents to approach the media for their case to be highlighted.

The authorities should act because they are in a better position to tell if the case deserves immediate public notification, said Jasni.

The criteria for raising a national alert, the group suggested, should be when the child is below 15 and when police have determined it has nothing to do with parental disputes and believe there's real danger involved.

Also in the proposal was for radio stations and public address systems in malls or mosques in the area where the child went missing to give a description of the child.

"The public can play their part. Maybe someone saw a child being snatched."
= NST Online

Sharlinie’s dad still hopeful she will return

2008-09-14T00:55:00.002+08:00

Saturday September 13, 2008

DUNGUN: The father of missing five-year-old Sharlinie, still harbours belief that his daughter is alive and well.

Mohd Nashar Mat Hussein also believes his youngest child, who went missing in in Petaling Jaya on Jan 9, is still in the country.

“Yes, I received news from Petaling Jaya police a couple of months ago that they have obtained leads that my child is alive and still in the country. It’s only matter of time before our daughter will be reunited with us,” the father of three said after Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said visited him and presented Hari Raya aid to the family yesterday.

Mohd Nashar decided to move out from his rented house in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, and return to his family home in Kampung Padang Pulut here to get over the bitter episode. The family shifted here last week and are helping out at a food stall operated by Mohd Nashar’s elder sister.

Mohd Nashar said another confirmation of his daughter’s wellbeing was given by a traditional medicine practitioner from Perak.

“He told us that Sharlinie is safe and would return to us very soon. It may sound ridiculous, but I am optimistic that my girl will be found,” he said.

Mohd Nashar said Sharlinie’s two other siblings, Nurul Amirah, 11, and Sharliena, eight, also miss their sister deeply.

“Buka puasa is a quiet affair for all of us and that why we decided to return to our hometown to erase the painful experience we endured when Sharlinie went missing,” he said.

He said Sharlinie often accompanied him to the Ramadan Bazaar at Taman Medan during the previous fasting month.

“This time she is not here. My wife (Suraya Ahmad, 28) is gloomy, she still can’t forget the episode,” he added.

“Maybe this Hari Raya will be a new beginning for my family with her returning very soon,” he said.

Earlier, Ahmad announced a Hari Raya gift for Mohd Nashar’s family. The state government has agreed to build them a new home.

The new house will be built on a plot of land owned by Mohd Nas-har’s father Mat Hussein Awang Kechik, 60.

- Star Online

Tinta: Jangan biarkan kes kanak-kanak hilang berulang

2008-09-11T23:21:00.002+08:00

Oleh Fadzlena Jafar
fadzlena@bharian.com.my

Assalamualaikum

SALAM Ramadan! Kedatangan bulan mulia ini sememangnya sentiasa dinantikan masyarakat Islam di negara ini. Selain kehadiran pelbagai juadah enak yang boleh didapati di bazar Ramadan, bulan ini juga memberikan ruang untuk kita menambah amal ibadat.

Bagi yang sedang membuat persiapan Aidilfitri ini, pastikan semuanya berjalan lancar. Jangan kerana terlalu sibuk membeli-belah kelengkapan baru seperti baju, perabot ataupun kuih raya, anda lupa untuk menjaga keselamatan anak terutama jika berkunjung ke pusat beli-belah yang pastinya dibanjiri orang ramai yang turut membuat persiapan akhir.

Jadikan iktibar kehilangan kanak-kanak yang banyak dilaporkan sejak kebelakangan ini.

Jika anda masih ingat kes kehilangan kanak-kanak berusia lima tahun, Muhammad Nazrin Ghazali (kini tujuh tahun) di sebuah gedung beli-belah di ibu negara dua tahun lalu ketika keluarganya sibuk membeli-belah, seharusnya anda akan menjadi lebih berhati-hati.

Walaupun Muhammad Nazrin atau lebih dikenali sebagai Adik Yin, selamat ditemui, tempoh yang dilalui sepanjang beberapa minggu kehilangannya pasti menjadi pengalaman ‘menakutkan’ yang tidak mahu dilalui lagi oleh kedua-dua ibu bapanya.

Orang kata, anak bagaikan nadi kehidupan kita. Kehilangan mereka, tidak kira apa punca sekali pun, boleh menyebabkan seseorang itu berasa sebahagian daripada diri mereka turut mati. Tanyalah kepada ibu bapa yang pernah melalui pengalaman seperti Ghazali.

Saya pernah bertemu Ghazali dan isteri ketika mereka berkunjung ke pejabat Berita Harian sejurus penemuan kanak-kanak itu. Bagi mereka sejak kehilangan Adik Yin, setiap detik dirasakan begitu menyesakkan diri mengenangkan nasib anak yang hilang, entahkan hidup, entahkan mati.

Malah, setiap saat peristiwa itu bermain di fikiran mereka sehingga ada kalanya terdetik di hati, jika tidak datang ke gedung beli-belah itu mahupun Kuala Lumpur (keluarga Ghazali menetap di Perak), tidak mungkin peristiwa itu akan berlaku.

Apapun, bersyukur kerana nasib Adik Yin sudah diketahui. Bagaimana pula dengan adik Sharlinie dan Awi yang sehingga ke hari ini masih tidak ditemui? Jika masih hidup, di mana mereka, siapa yang menjaga? Namun, jika sebaliknya, tunjukkan kubur mereka.

Kehilangan dua kanak-kanak itu adalah antara puluhan atau ratusan kes yang sehingga hari ini masih tidak berjaya diselesaikan. Masih ingat lagi dengan kehilangan kanak-kanak berusia tujuh tahun, Tin Song Sheng yang dikatakan diculik di depan sekolahnya di Klang pada 12 Januari 1996. Kini sudah lebih 12 tahun Shong Sheng hilang, tetapi kehilangannya masih diratapi ibunya dan terus mengharap untuk menemui si kecil biar dalam keadaan apa sekali pun.

Ada pelbagai teori diketengahkan mengenai kehilangan kanak-kanak seperti mereka, antaranya digunakan sindiket untuk bekerja atau dijadikan peminta sedekah di negara asing terutama apabila heboh beberapa tahun lalu mengenai kelibat kanak-kanak itu yang dikatakan dilihat di selatan Thai sedang meminta sedekah. Tidak kira apapun punca kehilangan mereka, kita harap satu hari nanti mereka diketemukan semula dengan keluarga tersayang.

Justeru, pada Ramadan yang mulia ini jadikan kisah mereka sebagai peringatan penting terutama apabila membawa anak ke pusat beli-belah, lebih-lebih lagi menjelang lebaran, kebanyakan pusat beli-belah atau pasar raya penuh dengan orang ramai yang turut mempunyai tujuan sama seperti anda, menyediakan persiapan Aidilfitri.

Tetapi, bak kata orang, rambut sama hitam, hati lain-lain. Mungkin ada juga yang berniat jahat dan ingin mengambil kesempatan di tengah kesibukan menyediakan persiapan lebaran. Jadi, berhati-hatilah. Jangan biarkan peristiwa yang menghantui keluarga kanak-kanak Ghazali itu turut menghantui anda kelak.

Pada masa sama, marilah kita berdoa semoga Sharlinie dan Awi segera ditemui dan secara peribadi, saya harap kita turut mendoakan supaya pembunuh adik Nurin Jazlin Jazimin ditahan. Al-Fatihah untuk adik Nurin Jazlin!

- Berita Harian

Keluarga Sharlinie sayu berbuka puasa

2008-09-09T22:20:00.001+08:00

Oleh IRMAN HASHIM

DUNGUN 3 Sept. - Suasana sayu dan sepi tetap menyelubungi keluarga Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussein yang mula berbuka puasa di kampung mereka di sini, selepas meninggalkan tempat tinggal lama di ibu kota bagi mencari ketenangan sejak kehilangan Sharlinie lapan bulan lalu.

Namun tempat baru nampaknya tetap tidak mampu menghilangkan kerinduan keluarga ini terhadap keletah Sharlinie, 5, bersama dua kakaknya, Nurul Amirah, 11, dan Sharliena, 8, setiap kali waktu berbuka.

Mohd. Nashar, 29, berkata, anak bongsunya itu sering dibawa menemaninya membeli juadah berbuka puasa di pasar Ramadan berdekatan rumah mereka di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

"Setiap kali, kami pergi membeli juadah berbuka puasa, Sharlinie akan meminta saya membeli otak-otak kegemarannya," katanya ketika ditemui di rumah ayahnya, Mat Hussein Awang Kechik, 60, di Kampung Bentong Padang Pulut di sini semalam.

Sharlinie diculik ketika dalam perjalanan pulang selepas bermain dengan kakaknya, Sharliena di padang permainan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari rumah mereka di Taman Medan pada 9 Januari lalu.

Sejak itu, selain polis, pelbagai pihak termasuk media dan orang perseorangan menghulurkan bantuan mencarinya tetapi sehingga kini usaha itu masih gagal membuahkan hasil.

Mohd. Nashar mengambil keputusan untuk berpindah ke Dungun semalam selepas tidak sanggup berada di rumah sewa di Taman Medan ekoran kejadian penculikan itu.

Beliau berkata, Ramadan kali ini hanya disambut secara sederhana dan mereka sekeluarga masih tidak memikirkan persiapan Aidilfitri.

"Masih belum ada berita tentang penemuan Sharlinie sehingga ke hari ini tetapi kami masih bersemangat untuk mencarinya," katanya.

Beliau menaruh harapan dan berdoa agar anak bongsunya itu akan pulang sebelum Hari Raya Aidilfitri bagi mengembalikan keceriaan mereka sekeluarga.
- Utusan Online

‘Pulangkan anakku’

2008-09-05T22:34:00.001+08:00

Oleh Mohd Nur Asnawi Daud
asnawi@hmetro.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: “Saya mengharapkan Awi dipulangkan Ramadan ini. Semoga Aidilfitri nanti lebih bermakna buat kami sekeluarga,” rayu ibu Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin, 11, kanak-kanak yang hilang di Pantai Dalam di sini, sejak 9 Mac lalu.

Rozita Mat Hassan, 50, berkata dia sekeluarga amat merindui Awi, apatah lagi ketika umat Islam sedang berpuasa apabila mengenangkan celotehnya menunaikan ibadat itu.

“Kalau bulan puasa, dialah yang paling gembira kerana sering diberikan wang oleh penduduk setempat yang sukakannya.

“Di bulan yang mulia ini, diharapkan terbukalah hati orang yang menyembunyikan anak bongsu saya itu supaya mengembalikannya ke pangkuan keluarga,” katanya ketika ditemui di rumahnya Jalan Pantai Permai 4, Pantai Dalam di sini, malam tadi.

Menurutnya, dia tetap berikhtiar menjejaki Awi walaupun operasi pihak berkuasa selama ini gagal menemuinya.

Dia tidak menyalahkan pihak polis kerana menyedari mereka sudah melakukan pelbagai usaha.

“Saya mengambil inisiatif sendiri, termasuk berjumpa pengamal perubatan tradisional. Walaupun terpaksa berhabis wang, saya tetap melakukannya kerana percaya Awi masih hidup,” katanya.

Kebanyakan pengamal perubatan tradisional memberitahu keluarga Rozita bahawa Awi disimpan atau dikurung orang tidak dikenali.

Malah, katanya, seorang bomoh turut memberitahu anaknya dipelihara seseorang dan tidak ingin melepaskan Awi kerana terlalu sayangkannya.

“Itu usaha saya dan ia akan tetap diteruskan selagi saya terdaya walaupun terpaksa bergolok bergadai.

“Naluri saya sebagai ibu kandungnya kuat mengatakan Awi masih hidup dan akan pulang satu hari nanti,” katanya.

Rozita yang sering menatap gambar dan pakaian anaknya bagi mengubati kerinduan, berkata Awi seorang yang ceria dan selalu melawak membuatkan dia sekeluarga terasa kehilangannya.

Dia turut bercadang pulang ke kampungnya di Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, bagi menenangkan fikiran selain melakukan ikhtiar lain bagi mengesan anaknya.

Ditanya mengenai perpindahan keluarga Sharlinie Mohd Nashar ke Dungun, Terengganu, dia terkejut apabila mengetahui perkembangan itu, namun faham dengan perasaan mereka dan alasan berbuat demikian.

“Saya dan keluarga Sharlinie saling mengenali antara satu sama lain dan kami saling kunjung-mengunjungi.

“Dulu, ketika Mohd Nashar pergi mencari Sharlinie di Indonesia dan Thailand, dia turut bawa bersama gambar Awi untuk dicari di sana.

“Malangnya usaha dan niatnya tidak kesampaian. Tidak langsung nampak kelibat kedua-dua kanak-kanak itu,” katanya.

Rozita berkata, dia juga pernah melahirkan hasrat kepada keluarga Mohd Nashar untuk berpindah ke kampung halamannya di Negeri Sembilan. Tapi mak cik tidak sangka pula mereka yang berpindah dulu,” kata Rozita sambil mengesat air mata.

Awi hilang selepas bermain bersama rakannya di taman permainan berhampiran rumahnya di Jalan Pantai Permai 4, Pantai Dalam di sini, 9 Mac lalu.

Dia hilang selepas berpisah dengan rakannya di satu persimpangan kira-kira 50 meter dari rumahnya jam 6.30 petang.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Brickfields, Asisten Komisioner Wan Abd Bari Wan Abd Khalid, berkata polis tidak pernah menutup siasatan kes kehilangan kanak-kanak berkenaan.

Menurutnya, pihak polis masih meneruskan usaha mengesan Awi.

“Kes diklasifikasi sebagai orang hilang dan tidak akan ditutup hingga proses mencari selesai sama ada Awi ditemui masih hidup atau sebaliknya.

“Buat masa ini, polis tidak mendapat maklumat baru,” katanya ketika dihubungi Harian Metro, malam tadi. - Harian Metro

Sharlinie's family seeks peace, hope in Dungun

2008-09-04T22:22:00.002+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Although they now call Dungun, Terengganu, their home, Sharlinie Mohd Nashar's family has not given up hope of finding her.

A visit yesterday to the home of the 5-year-old girl, who has been missing since January, to find out how the family was coping proved to be futile as their neighbours in Taman Medan here said the family had moved to Terengganu on Sunday.

Contacted later by telephone, Sharlinie's father, Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, said the decision to move was not to forget the incident but instead for the family to seek peace and start a new life.

"Ramadan this year will be quiet without Sharlinie.

"That's why we decided to move and celebrate Ramadan in a village atmosphere that is peaceful and calm," he said.

The pressures of the higher cost of living in the city was also a reason why the family decided to move, he said, adding that he was still looking for a job to support his family.

He said memories of Sharlinie's antics when she followed him to the Ramadan bazaar still lingered in his mind.

"Her mother is still sad and both her sisters often ask 'when is Nini coming home ... we can celebrate Hari Raya together'.

"It breaks my heart."

Mohd Nashar said the family now lived at his father's house and Sharlinie's sisters, Nurul Amirah, 11 and Sharliena, 8, would begin studying at a new school in Dungun tomorrow.

"Our move may be temporary. We have not decided yet whether or not we want to stay here for good or return to Kuala Lumpur."

Sharlinie's mother, Suraya Ahmad, 28, said that she had never lost faith that her daughter would one day be found.

"During this month of Ramadan, we hope that Sharlinie will return.

"I hope that whoever took my daughter will give her back to us so that we can celebrate Hari Raya with Nini," she said.

Sharlinie was reported missing around 11.30am on Jan 9 while playing with her sister at a playground located 200 metres from their house in Taman Medan. -- Bernama

Preventing crimes against children

2008-09-01T08:37:00.002+08:00

By Sekina Joseph

Some 242 children in Malaysia were reported missing between January and March, out of which only half have been found. So who do we blame -- the parents, police or stakeholders for not addressing the weaknesses and failures of the system?

Consider these cases: Nine-year-old Ang May Hong went missing on Apr. 12, 1987 while buying breakfast with her brother. She was later found dead and sexually abused near her home. On Dec. 10, 1995, Chai Sieu Chi, age 10 disappeared while playing not far from her home and is still missing. On Jan. 12, 1996, seven-year-old Tin Song Sheng was abducted outside his school and as rumors go, is handicapped and forced into begging in Thailand. In October 2000, six-year-old Nushuhada Burak was kidnapped on her way to a shop and later found raped and murdered in a rooftop water tank. On Jan. 28, 2004, Nurul Huda Abdul Ghani age 10 was abducted on her way home from a shop. Her naked body was found near an electric station guardhouse. She was gang raped, sodomized and strangled. On Aug. 20, 2007, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, went missing on his way to a night market. The eight-year-old was found in a sports bag a month later, sexually assaulted and brutally murdered. On Jan. 9, 2008, Sharlinie Mohd Nasha, disappeared while playing with her eight year old sister at a playground near her house. The five-year-old is still missing. On Mar. 9, 2008, Mohd Asmawi Jalaludin disappeared on his way home from a playground near his house. The 11 year old has not been traced since.

Although the crime-solving rate of the police is about 40 percent higher than the Interpol benchmark of 20 percent, it has failed to solve a large number of cases related to crimes involving missing children.

The problem could be that the police are overworked and not adequately motivated. This might be due to the large number of cases and a shortage of manpower. I was told that sometimes they get around 11 cases at a time.

Police training needs to improve and must emphasize on people skills, which are important when dealing with victims and their families. This is also because they have to deal with child witnesses, which can hamper investigation as far as credibility goes.

While I believe that police are trained in investigative skills techniques, the problem may lie in their attitude towards the investigation process. For example, not being vigilant at the crime scene can result in missing crucial clues and evidence.

However, in cases involving missing minors, the blame cannot be put solely on the police, as the chances of solving such cases are low due to little or no evidence at the crime scene. Also, police have to rely heavily on leads from witnesses and most of the time from uncooperative members of the public. Therefore, prevention is more effective and the community should play a bigger and active role in this respect. Parents should ensure the safety of their children by not allowing them to roam in their neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds and markets without adequate supervision.

Posters of missing children and circulating pamphlets will not help a lot in alerting the public. Instead, creating more public awareness on these issues, training people, and galvanizing the support of various agencies like the police, the judiciary, welfare and social organizations and the Interpol can help prevent such crimes. Everybody in society should assume responsibility, understand their role and connect to the wider process of preventing crimes against children.

Our children are our legacy and a gift from God. As responsible adults and parents we must take good care of them.

We, as humans irrespective of being migrants, illegal entrants, refugees, locals or foreigners, deserve to live in dignity and enjoy inalienable rights recognized and respected by the State and its agents if we are to progress as a cultured, caring and sharing nation.

Nurin pix culprit known ...... since November 2007

2008-08-25T22:21:00.006+08:00

"THE authorities have identified the culprit responsible for circulating post-mortem pictures of child murder victim Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, Harian Metro reported.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted as saying that the case has been taken over by Bukit Aman.

Nurin’s father Jazimin Abdul Jalil, 34, had on Thursday filed a negligence suit against the police and Government over post-mortem photographs of his daughter appearing online." - Star Online

The above news items appeared at most other newspapers reporting Datuk Khalid's reaction on the suit filed by Jazimin last Thursday.

Ironically, such statement was actually made by none other than the Inspector General himself as early as November 3rd, 2007, almost TEN months ago.

To recap, here's the news item carried by Bernama on that particular day :-

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The identity of the individual responsible for distributing the autopsy pictures of murdered Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, eight, has been identified and will be charged in court soon.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan who disclosed this Friday night, said the investigation had been completed.

"We have identified the person and he will be charged soon. We will inform the media when we are ready to charge him," he told reporters after a police Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Police Training Centre here.

He said the police could not provide more details on the individual as investigations into Nurin's murder case were still ongoing.

The autopsy pictures of Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak who went missing in August and whose dead body was found stuffed in a sports bag in the PJS area on Sept 20, were widely distributed through the Internet last month.

Can anyone now blame Nurin's parents for filing the suit after such a long period of lull with no charges, no news after almost ten months! Put yourself in Nurin's parents shoes, only then you'll understand.

Jasni AJ

Khalid: We did our best in Nurin probe

2008-08-25T12:59:00.000+08:00

SUBANG JAYA: The Selangor police chief yesterday said he was satisfied with the way his men had carried out the probe into the sexual assault and murder of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.

Responding to the civil suits filed by Nurin's father, Jazimin Abdul Jalil, last Thursday, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said: "My men have done their best in the investigation and I have no complaints. I am a bit disappointed by the suits but I will take them in stride."

Khalid said this after the launch of a crime-prevention seminar at a hotel here yesterday in conjunction with the National Crime Prevention Month.

"This is part and parcel of the job, and my men and I will not dwell on this matter.

"Nurin's case is still open.

"He has the right to file the civil suits but they will not discourage my men from carrying out their duties and responsibilities.

"Once the DNA Profiling Act is passed by Parliament, it will give a new dimension to the case."

The DNA Identification Bill 2008, in the pipeline since 2001, seeks to make the extraction of DNA samples from the accused compulsory in some instances.

On Thursday, Jazimin filed two suits against the police and the government at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Registry for negligence and defamation. The suits, which were filed through Messrs Akbardin & Co, coincided with the girl's one-year death anniversary.

Jazimin is suing the police and government over circulation of Nurin's post-mortem pictures over the Internet and on their alleged defamatory statements that he lost his daughter because of his alleged involvement with loan sharks.

The Inspector-General of Police, Selangor police chief, Petaling Jaya police chief and the government were named as defendants.

Jazimin, claimed that the defendants were negligent in allowing the photos to be circulated on the Internet which traumatised his family.

In the defamation suit, Jazimin sued the police and the government for RM2 million in general damages, exemplary and aggravated damages for tarnishing his reputation.

Nurin, a Year Two pupil of SK Desa Setapak, was abducted some 500m from her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju on Aug 20 last year.

Her sexually ravaged body was found in a sports bag outside a shoplot in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya, 28 days later.

Khalid also voiced his concern that certain goldsmiths in the state had installed sub-standard surveillance equipment.

"Sometimes when a robbery occurs at a goldsmith and police review the closed-circuit television camera recordings to identify the suspects, the image is unclear or blurry.

"There were instances where there were no images at all."

Meanwhile, Nurin Jazlin's family held a prayer session yesterday to commemorate the first anniversary of her disappearance.

The prayer was held at the family's home at the Kampung Baru Air Panas flats in Setapak. It was attended by more than 250 people.

- Sunday Times

Kes Nurin Tidak Akan Ditutup Meskipun Bapanya Saman Polis

2008-08-24T15:20:00.001+08:00

PETALING JAYA, 23 Ogos (Bernama) -- Polis tidak akan sesekali menghentikan siasatan kes pembunuhan Nurin Jazlin malahan akan terus memburu pembunuh kanak-kanak malang itu biarpun bapa kanak-kanak itu, Jazimin Abdul Jalil memfailkan saman terhadap pasukan polis.

Ketua Polis Selangor Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar menegaskan polis tidak akan menutup kes pembunuhan tersebut hanya kerana berhadapan dengan kes saman itu bahkan masih mengumpul bukti-bukti bagi mengesan penjenayah terbabit.

"Tanggungjawab pihak polis untuk mengesan penjenayah akan tetap diteruskan. Itu hak beliau untuk saman sekiranya berasakan kami bersalah.. sekiranya beliau tetap tidak berpuas hati.

"Apa yang saya boleh katakan, seluruh pasukan polis termasuk pegawai-pegawai saya sudah dan akan terus melakukan yang terbaik dalam mengesan pembunuh Nurin justeru tidak benarlah sekiranya polis dikatakan menghentikan siasatan," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menghadiri seminar pencegahan jenayah sempena Bulan Pencegahan Jenayah di sini Sabtu.

Beliau tidak menafikan timbul sedikit perasaan kecewa atas tindakan Jazimin memfailkan saman terhadap pasukan polis tetapi beliau menganggapnya sebagai asam garam dalam menjalankan tugas sebagai ketua polis.

"Saya sedikit kecewa tetapi ini tidak akan sesekali melemahkan semangat kami, kes saman menyaman saya lihat sebagai asam garam. Kalau kita nak fikirkan sangat pasal saman itu, nanti kerja lain pula yang tidak terbuat," katanya.

Ditanya mengenai penyebaran gambar autopsi Nurin, Khalid berkata polis sudah mengenalpasti individu yang terlibat tetapi enggan mengulas lanjut berikutan ia bukan di bawah bidang kuasa beliau.

"Kes berkenaan kini diambil alih Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Bukit Aman dan ia kini terpulang kepada pegawai polis berkaitan (yang menyiasat kes itu) untuk mengambil tindakan selanjutnya," katanya.

Jazimin, 34, memfailkan dua saman terhadap polis dan kerajaan Malaysia pada Khamis lepas berhubung penyebaran gambar autopsi anaknya melalui internet dan pernyataan fitnah kononnya beliau kehilangan Nurin kerana terlibat dengan ceti haram, 'Ah Long'.

Pekerja di syarikat keselamatan itu memfailkan saman kecuaian dan saman fitnah di pejabat pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Sivil Kuala Lumpur dan menamakan Khalid selain Ketua Polis Negara, Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya dan Kerajaan Malaysia sebagai defendan.

Rabu lepas genap setahun kehilangan Nurin yang berlaku semasa kanak-kanak itu keluar seorang diri ke pasar malam berhampiran rumahnya di Seksyen 1, Wangsa Maju, sebelum mayatnya dijumpai pada 17 Sept tahun lepas di dalam beg sukan di Jalan PJS 1/48, Taman Petaling Utama, selepas 27 hari kehilangannya.

Khalid berkata pihaknya turut berharap supaya Rang Undang-Undang Identifikasi Asid Deoksiribonukleik (DNA) 2008 dapat diluluskan segera bagi memudahkan tangkapan penjenayah dilakukan terutamanya bagi kes jenayah yang sukar dikesan seperti rogol, rompakan bersenjata dan bunuh.

Sementara itu, beliau menasihatkan pemilik-pemilik premis perniagaan agar memasang kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) yang bermutu tinggi agar apabila sesuatu kejadian jenayah berlaku, suspek mudah dikenalpasti.

"Banyak premis terutamanya kedai emas memasang CCTV yang kualitinya rendah justeru rakaman imej menjadi kurang jelas dan ini menyukarkan kerja untuk mengecam suspek apabila berlaku sesuatu perkara yang tidak diingini," katanya.

- BERNAMA

Sekitar Majlis Tahlil Arwah Nurin Ulangtahun Pertama

2008-08-24T01:27:00.008+08:00

Tanpa kita sedari, sudah genap setahun Arwah Nurin diculik. Petang Selasa 20 Ogos 2007 adalah kali terakhir ibubapanya melihat Nurin dalam keadaan hidup. 27 hari kemudian, mayatnya yang terkujur layu kesan penderaan telah dijumpainya dan setelah disahkan identiti mayat itu, akhirnya jenazahnya sempurna disemadikan.

Peristiwa yang menyayat hati ini pasti sudah sukar dilupakan. Bagi mengenang arwah Nurin, satu majlis tahlil sempena perginya Arwah Nurin selama setahun telah diadakan malam tadi.
Majlis yang hampir secara keseluruhannya dipenuhi oleh jiran-jiran setempat mengingatkan mereka betapa pentingnya memastikan keselamatan anak-anak mereka agar sentiasa terjamin kerana penjenayah tidak memilih mangsa. Yang pasti, anak siapapun boleh menjadi mangsa penjenayah gila ini.

Masyarakat mengetahui yang sehingga setakat ini, penjenayah itu masih belum dikenalpasti dan oleh itu ia mungkin sahaja berada dimana-mana, mencari mangsa barunya. Oleh itu, berwaspadalah. Jangan sekali-kali kita memikirkan yang malang tidak akan terjadi kepada kita kerana anggapan yang ianya hanya akan berlaku kepada ibubapa bermasalah sahaja, satu andaian yang mendorong Jazimin untuk mengambil tindakan saman terhadap pihak polis dan kerajaan Malaysia yang telah cuba memberikan sebab-sebab terjadinya tragedi Nurin di peringkat awal dan tidak pernah diperbetulkan sehingga hari ini.
Berbalik kepada majlis tahlil itu, para hadiran yang hampir mencecah 300 orang itu telah disajikan dengan jamuan tajaan Ali Maju Restoran, sebuah syarikat yang telah sentiasa menyokong ibubapa Nurin dalam mengharungi keperitan kehilangan anak mereka sejak dari awal lagi.

Semoga roh arwah Nurin sentiasa terpelihara. Amin.

Jasni AJ

Nurin Murder Case: Dead end at every turn for investigators

2008-08-22T00:09:00.001+08:00

By : V. Shuman

KUALA LUMPUR: It was by far one of the largest police investigations and even included the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington.

But despite several arrests no one was charged with the abduction and murder of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin

The Year Two pupil of SK Desa Setapak was abducted some 500m from her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju.

Her frantic family made numerous appeals to her abductors to free the girl as she suffered from hypertension and kidney ailments.

When Nurin did turn up 28 days after she went missing, it was in a sports bag left at the foot of a staircase in a shoplot in Petaling Jaya Selatan.

Police obtained the tape from a closed-circuit television camera from an adjacent shoplot, and released footage that showed a man arriving at the scene on a motorcycle, carrying a sports bag and leaving empty-handed.

The CCTV tape was sent to FBI headquarters to enhance the footage, but they could not obtain a clear image of the registration number of the suspect's motorcycle.

The closest thing to a lead from the tape was a blurry image of the suspect, which was released to the media.

Several days later, five people were picked up in several raids in Shah Alam and a watching nation thought justice would finally be served.

However, one of the five, a pregnant woman, was released soon after and the release of the four detained men would follow not much later.

Then, on Sept 29, an Indonesian woman was arrested when it was found that she had, in the preceding weeks, sent text messages to Nurin's father, claiming she had the girl. The woman, however, swallowed the subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the cell phone investigators thought contained evidence linking her with the murder.

Their hopes were dashed, however, when the SIM card, when it was finally flushed out, proved too damaged to have any data extracted.

The lack of evidence meant the foreign woman had to be released, albeit into the "care" of the Immigration Department as she had no valid travel documents.

On Oct 11, police released two more segments of the CCTV recordings showing three men in a Perodua Kenari and a woman wearing a red T-shirt and jeans.

The three men soon turned themselves in but were found to have not been involved in the case. The "woman" in the red T-shirt, meanwhile, turned out to be a 15-year-old girl, who was also released after questioning.

The search for the perpetrators continued as police promised they would not forget Nurin, but it was not until January this year that more arrests were made.

A security guard and a drug addict were picked up, but released four days later, even before their remand orders had expired.

Two months later, Federal CID director Datuk Bakri Zinin, while claiming that the file on Nurin was still open, added that police had failed to solve the case.

- The New Straits Times

More details on Jazimin's Suit Against the Police : From Bernama News Report

2008-08-21T18:59:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Jazimin Abdul Jalil, father of Nurin Jazlin, who went missing and was later found murdered, filed two suits against the police and the government Thursday, for neligence and defamation.

The suits were over the circulation of pictures on the post-mortem on Nurin and the alleged defamatory statement that he lost his daughter because of involvement with "Ah Long" or loan sharks.

Jazimin, 34, filed the suits at the Civil High Court registry.

He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, interest, cost and other reliefs deemed fit by the court in the negligence suit but did not specify the amount.

He named the Inspector-General of Police, Selangor police chief, Petaling Jaya district police chief and the government of Malaysia as defendants.

In the defamation suit, he is seeking RM2 million in general damages, exemplary and aggravated damages and damages for tarnishing his reputation.

He also wants an injunction to restrain the defendants from further spreading the alleged defamation, both orally and in writing in the media and an apology in the local newspapers and a withdrawal of the statement.

Jazimin's lawyer, Akberdin taking questions from journalists at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex (Photo : Jasni AJ)

Jazimin, who was present with his lawyer, Akbardin Abdul Kader, and brother, Jasni, named the Selangor police chief, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, Inspector-General of Police and the government as defendants in the defamation suit.

Nurin went missing on Aug 20 last year after she went to the night market near her home in Section 1, Wangsa Maju here. He body was found stuffed in a bag 27 days later.

Jazimin told reporters that he filed the suits to clear his name and correct the misconception given to the pulbic that he lost his second child because of dealings with loan sharks.

He was also disappointed with the police for their negligence which resulted in photos of the post-mortem on Nurin being circulated and questioned why no one had been charged so far.

Jazimin, a worker with a security company, claimed in the negiligence suit that several photos on the post-mortem, which he gave to the defendants for police investigation, were circulated to the public via e-mail in September last year.

He lodged a police report on Oct 9, asking the police to stop the circulation by whatever means because the photos were for police investigation into his daughter's abduction and murder.

- BERNAMA

Nurin's Father Has Right To Sue Police - CID Chief

2008-08-21T18:49:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Bakri Zinin said police cannot stop Jazimin Abdul Jalil, the father of murdered Nurin Jazlin from suing the force.

"If he sues the police, then we will study it. Sometimes, we too can make mistakes," he said when asked to comment on newspaper reports that Jazimin will file a civil suit against the police and government in the Kuala Lumpur High Court Thursday.

Reports said Jazimin would be asking for compensation and retraction of reports that implied he was involved with loans sharks (Ah Long) and an apology over the distribution of Nurin's post-mortem photographs.

Bakri said Nurin's family should not lay all blame on the police and that they were still collecting information to track down the murderers.

"We are not obliged to tell the family members what we do all the time as we have our own strategy in investigating the case."

He said police did not investigate based on emotion but according to needs and based on available proof adding it could not be solved without information form the public.

Nurin, 8, was found dead in a gym bag in front of a shop in Jalan PJS1, Petaling Jaya on Sept 17, 2007.

-- BERNAMA

EDITORIAL: Keep the candle lit

2008-08-21T18:34:00.001+08:00

A YEAR after the abduction and murder of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, we must take pause to observe this sad anniversary in all sympathy for her bereaved family — as indeed for that of Sharlinie Nashar, lost in similar circumstances eight months ago and not yet found.

The contrasting fates of the children in these two cases raised the most awful conundrum: would it be kinder for such families to know their child is dead, to retrieve her remains for a proper burial in a consecrated grave where they might mourn and pray for her, or to never know what became of her, the better for hope to remain? Such unthinkable dilemmas are universal; the cases of Briton Madeleine McCann last year, American Jon- Benet Ramsey in 1996, and even the Azaria Chamberlain “dingo” case in Australia 28 years ago, all strike to the same depth of anguish.

It would be almost as cruel to suggest the police do not feel just as wretched at such cases as Nur in’s and Sharlinie’s. But when they have to admit total failure in their investigations, it’s entirely understandable for Nurin’s father Jazimin Jalil to chastise them for not having at least done what they could against those who so callously leaked his daughter’s autopsy pictures and distributed them over cellphones. The police can and should make an example of those who would draw salacious pleasure from such horrors, as some cold comfort to offset their failure to track down the monster who did what was done to that child.

Let the harsh lessons be learned. In the society we live in today, those who perpetrate the most heinous of crimes against children seem to have ample scope to simply vanish, either into the interstices of our own communities or over borders.

As in the case of the little boy, Mohd Nazrin Shamsul, who wandered away from a department store in Kuala Lumpur in March 2007 and was taken in by a Myanmar family for a fortnight, it is possible for massively publicised searches to go completely unnoticed by many who reside among us.

There was a happy ending for “Yin”, but not for Nurin or Ninie. Jazimin’s wish to set up an organisation to help victims of such crimes is laudable, not least for underscoring that citizens must take responsibility for their own children’s welfare, and not leave their protection entirely to the authorities. These childrenwere taken within metres of their homes. Vigilance, like charity, must therefore begin there.

- New Straits Times

Nurin Jazlin's father sues cops, govt

2008-08-21T12:23:00.001+08:00

Thursday August 21, 2008 MYT 11:35:22 AM

KUALA LUMPUR: Nurin Jazlin’s father Jazimin Abdul Jalil filed a defamation suit Thursday against the police and the Government for allegedly accusing him of borrowing money from Ah Long.

He also filed a negligence suit against both parties for allowing his daughter Nurin Jazlin’s post-mortem photos to be released online.

Both suits were filed 10.30am Thursday at the Jalan Duta High Court Civil Registry.

- Star Online

One year on — and her killer still walks among us: Nurin’s family suing police...

2008-08-20T11:22:00.001+08:00

By : Fadhal A Ghani

KUALA LUMPUR: A year ago today, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was forcibly taken away from her family which started a saga which horrified the nation.

A month later, the sexually ravaged body of the eight-year-old was found in a sports bag outside a shoplot in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya.

It sparked a massive manhunt with a reward of more than RM20,000 offered for information leading to her killer's whereabouts. The reward and the manhunt yielded nothing.

Nurin's family, meanwhile, was subjected to more pain when a newspaper report stated that police were looking at the possibility that Nurin could have been taken away by loan sharks, implying that the family had dealings with Ah Long.

But the biggest blow came when post-mortem pictures of Nurin started circulating on the Internet. That, for the family, was the last straw.

After waiting for a year, the family has decided to fight back. Tomorrow, they will be filing a suit at the Kuala Lumpur High court against the police and the government.

They will be seeking damages, a public apology and retraction of the newspaper article linking the family with loan sharks. They are seeking an apology and damages for lack of security which led to the circulation of Nurin's post-mortem photographs.

Nurin's parents, Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman, yesterday expressed frustration over the whole episode.

"How can her post-mortem photographs be on the Internet? This was a police case, the photos are supposed to be confidential and classified," said an exasperated Jazimin.

"Haven't we suffered enough losing our daughter? Why put us through further misery by circulating her post-mortem photographs?"

The family is particularly upset that no one was charged with further violating Nurin's memory even though, at the height of the incident, police had claimed that the culprits were identified.

On Jazimin's alleged involvement with loan sharks, the father of three described the allegation as ridiculous.

"What Ah Long? I have never known or approached any loan shark," he said at his flat in Kampung Baru Air Panas, Setapak.

Jazimin claimed that, to further add insult to injury, he and his wife were even investigated for negligence.

Nurin was abducted when she was returning to her home in Section One, Wangsa Maju, after visiting a night market with her sister.

"Why were we investigated? Our daughter was abducted and murdered and they want to punish us."

Jazimin said he felt police had given up the search for his daughter's killer and had given up hope of positive news on the case.

"Does the task force still exist?" asked the father, refering to a special police squad initially set up to find the missing girl and later to investigate her murder.

Jazimin, however, was thankful for the support and help given by the public and has set up a security firm to repay the public for their kindness.

"I want to do my part in ensuring no family will have to go through what we underwent in the past year."

Jazimin and his wife have three other daughters -- Nurin Jazshira, 10, Nurin Jazrina, seven, and Nurin Jazlisa, two.

They will be holding a kenduri soon to commemorate the first anniversary of Nurin's death.

- New Straits Times

Still hopeful of finding Sharlinie

2008-08-12T23:31:00.005+08:00

“WITHOUT Nini around, our house has been quiet. She was always chattering about one thing or another. She had just learnt how to talk, you see,” the voice of the clearly anguished mother trails off quietly.

It has been almost eight months since Suraya Ahmad, 28, last saw her daughter Nini, or Sharlinie Mohd Nashar. Nini, five, went missing while playing at a playground about 200m from her house in Taman Datuk Harun in Petaling Jaya in January.

Although their hope of finding her is fading fast, her family vows to never give up looking for her.

The terrifying tale of a 13-year old abducted girl who saw a picture of Sharlinie in the van she was held captive in before she escaped could not shatter their hope in getting their daughter back.

It was reported that five men in a van tried to abduct the Form One student while she was waiting at a bus stop near Sungai Kapar Indah in Klang more than a week ago.

The girl claimed that besides seeing Sharlinie's photograph in the van, there were also pictures of other young girls, some with faces marked with an “X”.

“We don't know if we will see her again and many have even told us that they think it is too late, she is already gone. But until a body is found, we will still hope and search for her where we can,” says her uncle Yazrin Abdul Aziz.

Waiting with hope: Suraya looking through Sharlinie’s new clothes from last Hari Raya with her daughters Nurul Amirah (left) and Sharliena. The family still hopes for the safe return of their youngest member.

He says that his family, especially Sharlinie's father Mohd Nashar, still go out to look for the missing girl.

“Her father will follow any lead he gets. He’s mostly been to pasar malams, parks and other public areas. Sometimes we get worried about him. He was the closest to Sharlinie, so he is really taking it very hard.”

He adds that Mohd Nashar even travelled to Surabaya, Indonesia, last April in search of his missing daughter. However, like all previous leads, it had led to nowhere.

Yazrin says his brother-in-law has fallen into a worrying routine.

“Previously, when he comes home from work, he will play with Sharlinie and the whole house will be filled by her laughter and squeals. Now he comes home and sits quietly in the corner, deep in thought.”

That is why the family hopes that members of the public will not lead them on any wild goose chases.

“We appreciate all the help and leads that people have offered but we hope people can be considerate and verify the leads before informing us or the police. It is hard on us and we are especially worried about her father. We are scared because we can see that it is slowly eating him up. He loves her so much,” he says.

According to Yazrin, information on the hotline has frittered down and the last time the family heard anything from the police was over two months ago.

“We don't blame the police for not solving the case; we understand that they are doing the best they can. It is just sometimes hard to keep faith when we don't hear anything from them.”

Sharlinie's disappearance has definitely taken a toll on the whole family but for now, says Yazrin, they can only hope and pray that they will get to see her again.

“We all miss her. Her sisters, Sharliena (eight) and Nurul Amirah (11), sometimes ask why she does not want to come home. I don't know what to say,” says Suraya.

“We appeal to those who have her to return her to us safely. We appeal to the public not to forget about Sharlinie and still keep an eye out for her. Please help us find her.”

- Sunday Star

The search must go on

2008-08-11T10:18:00.003+08:00

Stories by HARIATI AZIZAN

Come Aug 20, it will be a year since Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was abducted and brutally murdered. The perpetrator has yet to be caught, and there are other cases of missing children that still remain unsolved.

SOMEONE knocked on my door and asked, 'Excuse me sir, have you seen this missing girl?' “ Jazimin Abdul Jalil wryly recalls the way police rallied to find his daughter Nurin Jazlin Jazimin when she first went missing.

They were conducting a house-to-house search for her, he says, and the cop at the door was earnest.

“I was so annoyed that I decided to play along. I said, ‘I don’t know, let me see the picture.' He showed me the picture and sure enough, it was my daughter. I told him, ‘Encik, ini anak saya. How were you briefed?’ He got very embarrassed and quickly apologised. He then said that he was new!”

Jazimin sighs.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the story did not end well. His little girl's naked body was found stuffed in a sports bag near a shoplot in Petaling Utama a month later. She had been cruelly assaulted. Now, almost a year after her abduction, her case remains unsolved.

Jazimin, a former taxi driver, shares that he was close to giving up on the police.

“We have not heard from the police for a while now. They have stopped updating us about any progress in the case. It sometimes seems like the case is closed and police are not bothered about justice,” he says stoically.

In April, the police assured that Nurin Jazlin's case, as well as that of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, will not be closed even if it takes more than 20 years to solve.

CID chief Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin even assured that he was personally handling these cases.

Recently, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Noriah Kasnon told Parliament that about 242 children were reported missing between January and March, out of which only half have been found. Many more children who disappeared remain missing.

Says one parent, Tan Teng Hok, “Police say their crime-solving rate is about 40%, higher than the Interpol benchmark of 20%, but what I can see is that it has failed to resolve a large proportion of crimes, especially for cases of missing children and sexually-assaulted children. Nurin's case is still unsolved. Even with posters all around, Sharlinie has yet to be found.”

Tan says that the police rarely patrol round his housing area in Petaling Jaya.

“The only time you really see the police is when there are roadblocks or demonstrations,” he says.

Even at the Wangsa Maju pasar malam where Nurin Jazlin was abducted, police surveillance has dwindled.

Neighbourhood watch member Ramli Abdullah, 56, says police now patrol the pasar malam area only once a month.

“But we watch it every week and we also patrol the area every week. The good thing is parents are more vigilant and many do not allow their children to roam alone at the pasar malam,” he says.

Jazimin naturally is very frustrated with the lack of progress in his daughter's case.

“To a certain extent, I can understand why the police have not caught my daughter's murderer but there are times when I get very frustrated and lose confidence in the police investigation,” he says.

Force needs help

The crux of the problem is that the police are overworked and not motivated, says a former top cop who declines to be named.

Retired for a few years now, he shares that morale in the police force has declined steadily over the years.

“Many don't carry out proper investigations because they are overworked due to the personnel shortage in the force. Sometimes they get as many as 11 cases in one go,” he says.

The retired cop adds that police training in the country needs to be improved.

“One missing ingredient is people skills, which is important when we are dealing with victims and their families. For example, you need to update the victim's family of the progress from time to time,” he says.

Many police officers also do not have the skills to deal with witnesses, especially child witnesses, he says, and this can hamper the investigation.

On investigative skills, he shares that the police are trained in various techniques; the problem is their attitude in the investigation process.

“As a result they are not vigilant when they are sent to the crime scene and will miss on clues and evidence,” he says, adding that there is also a shortage of recruits who can think critically.

However, in cases of missing children, he says, sometimes the police cannot be blamed as the chances of solving the cases are lower because usually no evidence is left behind at the crime scene. Police thus have to rely on leads from witnesses and most of the time, uncooperative members of the public hamper their investigations, he adds.

As for sexual assault and murder cases like the Nurin Jazlin case, he says it proves how vital the DNA databank is if the police are to solve them.

“Police found the DNA of Nurin’s perpetrator but because we don't have a DNA databank, there is no way for us to find a match. Unless the police get new leads or suspects, it will be difficult to solve the case,” he says.

Protect And Save The Children Association director Madeleine Yong believes that the police are not to be solely blamed for the unsolved cases of crime against children, especially missing children.

“There isn't one person at fault; everyone is responsible. All those working within the system need to understand their role, and how it connects to the wider process. There needs to be better collaboration between the different agencies,” she says.

Yong cites the Nurin alert system as an example of a good inter-agency collaboration.

“The Nurin alert is a whole systemic effort. It's not just about putting up posters and sending out flyers. It was about training people on the issue and galvanising a whole network of agencies from the police, the judiciary, social welfare people to the Interpol,” she says.

Prevention is more effective, and for that the community needs to play a role too, she adds. Shahida Musa, executive secretary of the Malaysian Association for the Protection of Children (MAPC), concurs, adding that the crux of the issue is parents’ attitude towards the safety of their children.

“You see this area (where the MAPC office is located), we are supposed to have the Kampung Baru molester on the loose. Every day I look out the window and can see young children walking on their own. You tell me whose fault is it?”

Shahida accepts that there are various factors involved, particularly urban poverty, but parental negligence cannot be disregarded, she opines.

She is right, as a survey by this reporter around the so-called “hot areas” such as Kampung Baru and Taman Medan shows that parents are still allowing their young children to roam around their neighbourhood without supervision.

Many agree that it is time for stakeholders to address the weaknesses or failures of the system for the sake of the children.

Shahida opines that most government agencies dealing with children are in dire need of trained personnel.

“Take the Welfare Department, for example. The ratio of their staff is disproportionate to the number of people in their area and they will be responsible for everything from missing children and child abuse cases to fire, flood and other natural disasters,” she says.

”The more honest we are and the more we consolidate our resources and energy, the better we are able to protect our children,” Yong says.

- Sunday Star

Nurin's family picks up the pieces

2008-08-10T21:13:00.001+08:00

- Sunday Star

The Autopsy Pictures’ Case : A Chronology

2008-08-06T19:06:00.006+08:00

October 9th, 2007

· Autopsy pictures of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin were discovered to have been circulated through the internet and posted on several websites.
· Jazimin and his brothers lodged a Police Report at the Dang Wangi Police District Headquarters

The full story :

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- As news broke out Tuesday that autopsy pictures of murdered eight-year-old girl Nurin Jazlin Jazimin were posted on the Internet, police warned that stern action would be taken against anyone distributing such pictures.

Selangor Chief Police Officer Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, who was not amused by this latest twist in the bizarre murder, told Bernama: " I've seen the pictures posted via emails and have lodged a report.

"Investigations are underway under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and I warn those distributing such photographs to stop doing it or risk being prosecuted under the OSA or in possession of pornographic materials," he said.

" I'm directing this warning particularly to my own men (police) as they were the ones who had direct access to these photographs and those who are now in possession of such photographs," Khalid said.

Nurin was reported missing on August 20 after she had gone alone to a night market near her home in Wangsa Maju here.

On September 17, her nude body was found stuffed into a sports bag that was left in front of a shoplot in Petaling Jaya. A post-mortem revealed that she was sexually assaulted, with a brinjal and cucumber inserted into her private parts.

Police picked up five people, including a woman, in connection with the murder 10 days after the discovery of the body but only the woman is still under remand.

The four men were released four days later as DNA tests carried out on them did not match the foreign material found on Nurin's body.

Describing the distribution of the photographs as a despicable act, Khalid said others might also be in possession of such material.

Asked how many photographs could have been distributed on-line, he said: "There were many, more or less the whole set of photographs."

--BERNAMA

October 23rd , 2007
· The then Bukit Aman CID Chief stated that the case on the distribution of autopsy pictures may be completed within the next 2 weeks

The full story :

KUALA LUMPUR 23 Okt. – Polis yakin dapat menyelesaikan kes penyebaran gambar bedah siasat ke atas mayat kanak-kanak malang, Nurin Jazlin Jazmin, 8, dalam tempoh dua minggu lagi.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Bukit Aman, Datuk Christoper Wan Soo Kee berkata, polis telah meminta bantuan Pusat Keselamatan Siber Kebangsaan (CyberSecurity), Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) dan makmal forensik bagi membantu mengesan pihak yang menyebarkan gambar tersebut.

‘‘Polis sudah merekodkan keterangan beberapa pegawai polis berhubung isu penyebaran gambar bedah siasat ke atas mayat kanak-kanak malang.

‘‘Siasatan sedang dijalankan dan polis yakin akan dapat mencari orang yang menyebarkan gambar itu dalam tempoh terdekat,’’ katanya pada sidang akhbar di Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman di sini hari ini.

Gambar bedah siasat Nurin Jazlin, 8, dalam keadaan menyayat hati itu telah disebarkan oleh individu yang tidak bertanggungjawab melalui Internet dan khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) baru-baru ini.

Christoper memberitahu, beliau meminta orang ramai yang menerima gambar tersebut supaya membuangnya dan tidak menghantar kepada individu lain.

“Buanglah dan jangan sebarkan gambar tersebut bagi menghormati keluarga mangsa,” ujarnya.

Pada 9 Oktober lalu, Jazimin Abdul Jalil membuat laporan polis berhubung tindakan pihak tidak bertanggung jawab yang menyebarkan gambar proses bedah siasat mayat anaknya, Nurin Jazlin, 8, menerusi Internet dan SMS.

Jazimin membuat laporan itu di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi kira-kira pada pukul 9.40 malam dengan ditemani oleh sanak saudaranya.

- Utusan Malaysia

November 3rd, 2007
· The identity of the individual responsible for distributing the autopsy pictures of murdered Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, eight, has been identified and will be charged in court soon. - Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan

The full story :

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The identity of the individual responsible for distributing the autopsy pictures of murdered Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, eight, has been identified and will be charged in court soon.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan who disclosed this Friday night, said the investigation had been completed.

"We have identified the person and he will be charged soon. We will inform the media when we are ready to charge him," he told reporters after a police Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Police Training Centre here.

He said the police could not provide more details on the individual as investigations into Nurin's murder case were still ongoing.

The autopsy pictures of Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak who went missing in August and whose dead body was found stuffed in a sports bag in the PJS area on Sept 20, were widely distributed through the Internet last month.

AND NOW AUGUST 6TH, 2008, ALMOST TEN MONTHS SINCE THE POLICE REPORT WAS LODGED :

NO NEWS ON THE IDENTIFIED CULPRIT!
NO NEWS ON ANY CHARGES TO ANYONE!
SO WHAT’S GOING ON?

Jasni AJ

CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN: Please ensure justice is done

2008-08-03T00:10:00.002+08:00

By : D. PARAMALINGAM, Seri Kembangan, Selangor

I WOULD like to know what has happened to two unsolved cases involving two little girls -- Nurin Jazlin Jazimin and Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

I can't help thinking that the preoccupation of the police with other issues recently has forced them to relegate these cases to the back burner.

Come Sept 17, it would be one year to the day since Nurin was kidnapped and murdered. The police have yet to find the person responsible for this heinous crime.

And it has been seven months since Sharlinie went missing. Have the police found her? The answers to these two questions is a big "no".

In fact, the police, quite understandably, probably decided to concentrate more on law-and-order problems associated with the March 8 general election than with finding the offenders or trying to solve these two cases.

The elections have come and gone. Nurin's murderer still remains at large. Sharlinie remains missing.

Now, the whole nation has been caught up with the mudslinging and power play between politicians, and Nurin and Sharlinie seem to have been forgotten.

As a father of two young children, I feel for the parents of these two young girls. I also constantly fear for the safety of my children.

Much as I understand the enormous strain under which our law-enforcement officers are working, I appeal to them to ensure that justice is done to Nurin and Sharlinie and those who care for them.

- New Straits Times

Children's Safety Still A Cause For Concern

2008-07-22T13:46:00.001+08:00

By Ir. Ahmad Jais Alias

Not long ago, the nation was jolted by several incidences of children gone missing, but how sure are we that our children are safe from harm's way nowadays?

Instances involving the disappearance of innicent juveniles like Nurin Jazlin, Sharlinie and Asmawi were given prominent media coverage, followed by intensive public campaigns and efforts taken by the community in trying to locate them.

However, over time, they have faded from public scrutiny and seemed to have been forgotten.

Consequently, a recent workshop on Child Protection and Safety Rights organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia’s (IKIM) Counselling and Training Centre served as a gentle reminder on the need to ensure that our children are safe and protected at all times.

Among the issue raised during the workshop session was the extent and comprehensiveness to which the Child Protection law is being implemented in the country.

Laws to protect children were enacted in Malaysia as early as 1947 via the Children and Young Persons Act, Juvenile Court Act 1947, Women and Girls Protection Act 1973 and Child Protection Act 1991.

FINGERPOINTING

In keeping with development, the Children Act 2001 was enacted on Aug 1, 2002, to provide comprehensive protection for children in Malaysia.

Also known as Act 611, it streamlines all the relevant laws pertaining to the care, protection and rehabilitation of children, including provisions for related matters.

Among the responsibilities outlined by Act 611 is the role and responsibility of parents and guardians in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children under their care, their responsibility of reporting child abuse cases and the establishment of Juvenile Court.

But how effective can the Children Act 2001 be, if follow-up and enforcement measures are found wanting?

Whenever something untoward happens to a child, we often we see a lot of finger pointing going round among the parties concerned.

CHILDREN AT PLAY ARE UNSUPERVISED

Parents will put the blame squarely on the police and the relevant government agencies for any mishap that befall their children outside of the home environment, arguing that ensuring public safety and security should be the responsibility of the authorities.

The authorities on the other hand, will put the fault on the parents and society at large, for their ignorance and indiligence in allowing the child to be exposed to the threat of criminal elements, in the first place.

Generally, voluntary bodies like the Parents- Teachers Associations (PTAs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), teachers and parents themselves have not been able to come up with a concrete plan of action that would ensure the safety and protection of children under their ward.

Just take a stroll in any playground or open space, inevitably we are sure to come across children left playing or loitering around, left unattended and unsupervised by the adults who are responsible for their safety and wellbeing.

Leaving children to their own devices is fraught with danger as it exposes them to potential threats and harm from undesirable elements.

CARELESSNESS AND IGNORANCE

Then there are parents who get so engrossed with their shopping that they are oblivious to the fact that their children are no longer tagging along behind them. Recall how often we hear announcements requesting parents to collect their lost and bewildered offspring at the customer service counters in shopping centres.

Such incidences only reflect the carelessness and ignorance on the part of the parents concerned.

Parents should realise that their children have been entrusted upon them by the Almighty, as such they should carry out their responsibilities to the best of their abilities.

Children have the right to receive love, care and affection from their parents or custodians, in addition to basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. On top of that, they have the right to an education and spiritual guidance, in order to develop their human potentials.

SAFETY IN SCHOOL

But do all parents, especially those who are barely out of their teenage years, realise and understand all these things?

The question of children's safety in schools and daycare centres are often contentious. There seem to be a tendency for some parents to pass the buck to the school and teachers.

Such an attitude often cause misunderstanding between parents and teachers as to where their responsiblities towards the students should lie.

Teachers, who are already burdened by their Herculean workload, are now asked to ensure the safety of children in schools.

If a child were to get injured at school, these teachers face the threat of a legal action instituted by the child’s parents. This only serves to add pressure to an already emotive profession.

Thus, a better way to ensure the safety of children while they are at school needs to be looked into. The PTAs should play the intermediary in ensuring that children are safe whenever they in the confines of the school. But at home, the duty lies squarely on the parents’ shoulders.

The parents’ active involvement in PTA activities and school events would help foster better understanding between teachers and parents, and should be strongly encouraged.

COLLECTIVE AWARENESS

Another aspect that is frequently overlooked is that society at large, too some degree, is responsible for the general safety of children in their midst. This means that we should not turn a blind eye to the plight of a child who is in trouble, just because the child is not our's.

Thankfully, in light of the tragic disappearances, the spirit of public awareness on the need to look out for childrens' safety appears to be on the rise. NGOs, support groups and voluntary organisations of various nationalities have all jumped on the bandwagon in their effort to locate the missing children.

It is hoped that this is spirit of ‘togetherness’ is not a passing concern that would quickly dissipate once the episode has been concluded.

Ensuring the coordination between NGOs and members of the community must be one of the top priorities for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry. Those from all levels of society and every individual within the community must be roped in to ensure the safety of children in their midst.

If we want to avoid such tragedy from recurring, every one of us must join hands and collectively be the ‘eyes and ears’ for each other, in our effort to ensure the safety of all of our children.

Towards this end, IKIM’s effort at organising the workshop on Children's Right to Protection and Safety is certainly a step in the right direction.

(The writer is a Fellow Consultant at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia’s (IKIM) Counselling and Training Centre)

- BERNAMA

Putting a face to the faceless

2008-07-14T23:10:00.003+08:00

By CHIN MUI YOON

Using a fascinating blend of fine art and science, forensic artists can provide the crucial first step towards the apprehension of criminals.

THE Kampung Baru Molester, aka Catman. The kidnap and murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jaziman. The kidnap of five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, who is, heartbreakingly, still missing....

“Stranger danger” is especially terrifying when it is the most vulnerable members of our society that are victimised.

When, at the height of the uproar over the Catman, the police released an image of a suspect, levels of paranoia actually eased a little – it always helps to put a face to a faceless terror, after all.

In the case of the Catman, though, what the cops released was not a photograph but a composite, a drawing made by combining photographs of different facial features until they resemble the suspect.

A police artist would have spent many patient hours with eye witnesses, teasing out their memories of the suspect to produce that composite drawing. But to no avail, it seems, because there has been no sign of the Catman since the drawing was released to the public via the media in January.

Such are the frustrations of police artists, arguably among the lesser known yet more fascinating members of most modern police forces.

But their careers can provide great rewards, too.

Karen T. Taylor, one of the world’s foremost forensic artists – and the one who wrote the book, literally, on the process – has this to share about her job:

“As an artist, I have known the greatest possible satisfaction, seeing the tangible real life effects my forensic art has had. On many occasions there have been phone calls to say, ‘You know that drawing you did (of that paedophile or murderer or rapist), well, we got him’.

“What could be better than that?”

Arresting a suspect based on a drawing is just the very first step in a long process of putting together crime scene evidence and witness testimony that will eventually put a criminal behind bars. But that composite drawing can be a crucial first step.

Says Inspector Jimbai Anak Bala, of the Criminal Investigation Department at Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters: “A facial composite helps narrow the scope of suspects for us,” he says. “A composite released to the media can draw in suspects. People who may have chanced upon the criminal but didn’t realise it at the time may also recall what they’ve witnessed.”

Indeed, in the United States, many high-profile cases have been solved with help of police artists. One such case was the 1993 abduction, rape, and murder of pretty 12-year-old Polly Klaas who was snatched, shockingly, during a slumber party.

Sketch artist Jeanne Boylan helped draw a composite of the suspect from descriptions given by Klaas’ terrified friends. When Richard Allen Davis was arrested six weeks later at a routine police stop, he strongly resembled Boylan’s drawing. (Davis is currently on death row in California.)

Says Taylor, “For the forensic artist, one image can literally be responsible for the recovery of a precious stolen child, stopping a serial rapist or murderer, or providing closure for the family who has lost a loved one to homicide.

“It is an awesome responsibility? and one that wears on the heart and soul,” she shares in an e-mail interview with StarMag.

Taylor knows a little something about that wear and tear. She worked for 18 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety in America, building up a global reputation, writing the academic text in her field, Forensic Art and Illustration, and even having a character based on her on TV’s forensic series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (for which she is a consultant).

A passion for faces
When the Chicago police department could not identify the decayed body of a woman discovered in a dumpster, they turned to Taylor.

They sent her the Jane Doe’s skull, a hair sample, and autopsy photos.

With the skull on a stand, Taylor worked over several weeks, layering on clay – according to a technique she pioneered in the 1980s that is now commonly used around the globe – until she could put a face to the nameless victim.

Crucially, she noted glue and metal bands on the victim’s teeth, indicating that the victim had worn braces.

From the 3D model, Taylor produced a 2D sketch that was aired on the TV programme America’s Most Wanted (along with images of the 3D model) and published in a publication for dentists. That turned out to be the vital link: A dentist recognised the victim as his 17-year-old patient Marlaina Reed.

Taylor’s work had a striking likeness to the photo of the murdered teenager that was eventually obtained.

The “Chicago Jane Doe” case is just one among thousands in Taylor’s portfolio.

“Depicting faces has always been my passion,” she tells us. “I drew faces in childhood, attempted my first facial sculpture in high school, and continued the obsession throughout college.”

Taylor’s fascination for faces led her to the School of Fine Arts at the University of Texas and then the world-renowned Chelsea School of Fine Art in London. She later worked as a portrait sculptor for Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, further honing her skills in sculpting faces.

But it was in law enforcement that Taylor found her calling, and ended up working for almost two decades as a forensic artist in Texas.

In 1992, she was honoured as a Texas Woman of the Century and, in 2002, the International Association for Identification awarded her the John A. Dondero Award for “significant and valuable contribution in the area of identification and allied sciences”. Her book, Forensic Art and Illustration, is used as a textbook by practitioners globally.

To become an artist of crime

In a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia, forensic artists must consider issues of race or ancestry, not because of prejudice but simply as a potential means of specific physical description, Taylor points out.

“In my forensic art workshops, I teach students to focus on facial shapes, feature forms, and skin tones rather than attempting to ‘place labels’ on people,” she explains.

“Racial prejudice may sometimes play when people give descriptions of members of certain ethnic groups. It’s the artist’s job to deal with appearances not labels.”

Taylor believes that the forensic artist must blend skills in the fine arts with science.

And that you must never stop learning, ever. And you learn not just about your own field but as many other related fields as you can if you want to be the best possible police artist, she explains.

“Artists should strive to acquire various skills to do this work well, depending on the specific type of forensic art they practice.”

For instance:

·To produce accurate composite images, an artist would have to know the subtleties of how memory functions and learn interviewing techniques.

·To produce an image of an adult based on the picture of him/her as a child, the artist would have to know how faces generally develop and grow, ie craniofacial development.

·To update images of fugitives who have aged requires knowledge of craniofacial ageing.

·Producing a recognisable image from a dead body that has detriorated requires an understanding of post-mortem processes and what changes happen to the face after death.

· Reconstructing a face from a skull is perhaps the most arduous of the forensic arts; it involves aspects of anatomy, anthropology, and dentistry.

Most importantly, “Forensic artists should be capable of empathy for crime victims, both living and deceased”.

Leaving the heartache behind

Taylor is often asked how she deals with the skulls and the gross morgue work in her career.

Her answer is revealing of how much empathy plays a part in the field of forensic art.

“It has been easier for me to deal with a crime victim who is no longer suffering. It has, at times, been far more difficult to work with the living who are still in great emotional or physical pain,” she says.

After two decades of witnessing at first hand the heartache victims of violent crime and their families experience, Taylor is drawing away from forensic art and returning to being a portrait sculptor.

She now works as an independent contract artist out of her studio, Facial Images, in Austin, Texas.

“I’ve spent the past 20 years doing artwork to help capture the bad guys. Now I intend to spend the next 20 years commemorating the good guys and girls!” she says.

“My intent now is to use the skills with which I was blessed to create facial images that document the intelligence, goodness, and joy that a human face can hold.”

Among many successful projects is her work with the advisory group that developed the content of a hugely popular travelling exhibit called Whodunit? The Science of Solving Crime created by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Texas.

For all her success, though, nothing beats the satisfaction of knowing that her craft has helped apprehend a criminal or bring closure to a grieving family.

Karen T. Taylor’s website is karenttaylor.com.

- Sunday Star

Jenayah di Brickfields menurun

2008-06-30T23:18:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR Polis menafikan kadar jenayah di daerah Brickfields di sini meningkat, sebaliknya ia turun tujuh peratus dalam tempoh lima bulan pertama ini berbanding tahun sebelumnya.Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Brickfields, Supritendan Azri Abdul Rahman berkata, pihaknya memang tidak menafikan jenayah masih berlaku di sekitar daerah terbabit namun dakwaan bahawa ia meningkat adalah tidak benar.

"Statistik menunjukkan penurunan, justeru, saya menafikan laporan yang mengatakan ia meningkat," katanya yang mengulas laporan bahawa indeks jenayah di Brickfields mencatatkan peningkatan.

Azri berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menerima replika kunci kereta baru pegawai penyiasat di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Brickfields di sini semalam.

IPD Brickfields menerima 14 kereta Proton Waja 1.6 CPS bagi kegunaan para pegawai penyiasat.

Sementara itu, mengulas mengenai perkembangan kehilangan Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin, 11, Azri berkata, polis masih gagal memecah kebuntuan kes tersebut meskipun sudah lebih tiga bulan kehilangannya.

Menurut beliau, kalau sebelum ini ada dua maklumat yang tidak membuahkan hasil, kini maklumat yang diterima polis adalah sifar.

"Selagi maklumat kami peroleh walaupun petunjuknya tidak kuat, kami tetap akan melakukan sesuatu. Tapi keadaan semasa tidak mengizinkan, kehilangannya terus menjadi misteri," jelasnya.

Muhamad Asmawi atau Awie dilaporkan hilang ketika pulang dari sebuah taman permainan berdekatan rumahnya di Lot 127, Jalan Permai Tujuh, Lembah Pantai di sini, 9 Mac lalu.

Kanak-kanak itu dikatakan dalam perjalanan pulang bersama rakannya dari taman itu berdekatan Flat Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Kerinchi.

Misteri kehilangannya sehingga hari ini telah memasuki hari ke-111.

- Utusan Malaysia

Doa dipanjatkan, Syukur dizahirkan

2008-06-27T21:53:00.010+08:00

Sejak kebelakangan ini, adalah menjadi satu kemustahilan bagi saya mencedok keratan-keratan berita perihal samada Nurin, Sharlinie atau Asmawi untuk diterbitkan semula dalam laman blog ini.

Setiap hari meneliti akhbar, setiap hari jua saya dapati yang tiada langsung sebarang berita mengenai Sharlinie ataupun Asmawi. Berita perihal Nurin tentulah jauh sekali kerana ianya sudahpun dianggap sebagai satu peristiwa yang telahpun berlalu.

Tapi Sharlinie dan Asmawi masih tidak ditemui, dimanakah mereka? Ayah Sharlinie khabarnya sudahpun sampai di Tanah Jawa dalam usaha pencariannya, sejauh mana lagi beliau pergi pergi?

Malang sekali nasib ibu dan ayah Sharlinie, tercari-cari kesana kemari. Pasti sudahlah kehidupan mereka terganggu, terganggu yang amat sangat. Begitu jugalah nasib yang ditanggung oleh ibu Asmawi, menanti dan terus menanti entah sampai bila.

Mengenangkan nasib ibu dan ayah Sharlinie serta Asmawi, terdetik di hati saya yang nasib ibu dan ayah Nurin adalah berganda lebih baik dari mereka. Ya, Nurin telah diperlakukan dengan zalim sampai menemui ajal, tapi sekurang-kurangnya, jasadnya dikembalikan (dalam beg sukan) bagi membolehkan ibu dan ayahnya menyempurnakan jenazahnya dan tentu sekali menamatkan pencarian yang amat memeritkan, bukan sahaja ibu dan ayahnya malah sanak saudara samada yang dekat ataupun yang jauh, jiran-jiran, rakan-rakan serta perbagai pihak yang berusaha mencari Nurin dikala tempoh kehilangannya.

Yang pasti, Nurin sudahpun "selamat", tidak lagi menderita dari kezaliman.

Atas hakikat inilah keluarga Nurin sentiasa bersyukur walaupun pada asalnya peristiwa itu merupakan satu musibah.

Bagi menzahirkan kesyukuran ini, keluarga Nurin kerap sekali mengumpulkan sanak-saudara serta rakan dan jiran terdekat bersama-sama mensedekahkan yassin bagi arwah atau setidak-tidaknya bersama-sama berdoa selamat.

Majlis terakhir adalah pada hujung minggu lalu, dan saya seperti kebiasaan turut ada bersama dengan keluarga.

Jasni AJ

Bloggers keep up the search

2008-06-10T17:42:00.000+08:00

By NAJIAH NAJIB

WHILE many think the search for missing children Sharlinie Mohd Nashar and Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin has become a lost cause, bloggers in the city are still trying to find and return them to their parents.

But they can’t do it alone.
They need public help to continue to keep a lookout for the children for as long as necessary.

It is approximately 153 days since little Sharlinie, or Nini, as she is fondly known, went missing. Nini is five years old.

For 11-year-old Asmawi or Awi, who was last seen on March 9, he has been missing for 91 days now.

Blogger and ex-journalist Nuraina A. Samad (www.nursamad.blospot.com), said the bloggers’ efforts in materialising the Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network or NURIN Alert is far from done.

They are, in fact, coming closer to legalising the establishment of Citizens for Nurin Alert (C4NA), a body created to spearhead the NURIN Alert programme, she said.

“We’ve recently received support from several corporations for C4NA. Once we register with the Registrar of Societies, we will be open for membership,” said Nuraina.

Aside from Nuraina, C4NA consists of crime analyst Kamal Affendi Hashim (president), Jazlan Abdul Jalil (vice-president), Jasni Abdul Jalil and Nik Farez (secretaries), Wahti Mahidin (treasurer), and committee members Mary Kate, lawyer Stephanie Chee (East Malaysia liaison), Mohd Fadli (webmaster) and part-time researcher Hanizah Hashim.

“We’re ambitious. We’re go- ing to push the effort for as long as we can to help in rescuing missing children.

This is not a one-off thing. Our effort will help lessen the po- lice’s burden,” said Nuraina.

When asked if she believes that Nini and Awi are alive and safe, she said: “At this point, I don’t know what to think, but my heart goes out to their parents. I can only imagine their anguish.

“If Nini is alive, she is being kept somewhere. And it’s not impossible for a child to be kept in a house in the suburbs without anyone noticing. Who would actually take a second look at what goes on in a normal-looking house?” As for Awi, she said, if he was abducted, “we can’t rule out the possibility” of him being used for prostitution, pornography or drug trafficking.

As for police efforts in finding the children, Nuraina said it is hard to determine the police’s stand on the issue.

“There’s a possibility that they’re looking at the case as a lost cause and would rather use their manpower for other things. They may say they’re serious, but I’m not sure if they’re serious about being serious.” C4NA’s Hanizah (tembam.wordpress.com), believes the police should implement preventive measures of child safety rather than just “wait for a lead” in the in- vestigation.

“This can be done by holding talks to educate parents or training children on what to do if approached by strangers.

“But unfortunately, none of this is being done,” she told Malay Mail.

For blogger Jasni (nurinjazlin.blogspot.com), who is the uncle of Nurin Jazlin Jazi- min, he said bloggers are one of the most loyal groups who are still fighting for Nini and Awi’s rescue.

“The missing children’s case may have died down a bit with the public and the authorities, but bloggers are adamant in putting up posters of the missing children on their sites.

“The posters help to remind our blog visitors that the children have yet to be located.

Until they are found, the case will not be closed.” Sharlinie went missing after playing at the Taman Medan playground, some 200m from her home.

Asmawi, a Standard Five pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan La Salle Brickfields (2), was reported missing on the way home from a playground near his house in Jalan Permai 7, Pantai Dalam.

Nurin’s killer is still at large.

- The Malay Mail

Bapa bimbang kes Sharlinie makin dilupai

2008-06-02T13:11:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 1 Jun - Ahli keluarga kepada Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, yang hilang berhampiran rumahnya di Petaling Jaya kira-kira enam bulan lalu, khuatir orang ramai mula melupakan kes tersebut.

Bapanya, Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussein, 29, berkata, perkembangan itu akan menyebabkan usaha mencari anaknya hanya bergantung kepada polis dan ahli keluarganya sahaja.

Ini kerana jelasnya, bantuan orang ramai terutama dalam menyalurkan maklumat amat diharapkan supaya anaknya dapat ditemui segera.

''Hari ini sudah 145 hari Sharlinie hilang tetapi kami sekeluarga tidak putus asa mencari dan berdoa dia selamat dikembalikan.

''Baru-baru ini pegawai dari Ibu Pejabat Petaling Jaya menghubungi saya memberitahu mereka masih menyiasat kes itu dan berharap saya terus bersabar,'' katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Sharlinie hilang, dipercayai diculik ketika dalam perjalanan pulang selepas bermain bersama kakaknya, Sharliena di padang permainan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari rumah mereka di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya pada 9 Januari lalu.

Sejak itu, selain polis, pelbagai pihak termasuk media dan orang perseorangan menghulurkan bantuan mencarinya tetapi sehingga kini usaha itu masih gagal membuahkan hasil.

Mohd. Nashar dengan nada sedih menyatakan mereka sekeluarga amat merindui Sharlinie.

''Sejak kehilangannya, kehidupan kami sekeluarga tidak seceria dahulu.

"Kami rindukan suaranya, tolonglah pulangkan kembali Sharlinie ke pangkuan kami," luahnya dengan penuh harapan.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed ketika dihubungi menegaskan, pihaknya terus berusaha menjejaki kanak-kanak itu walaupun maklumat terbaru mengenainya semakin kurang diterima.

Beliau berkata, kes itu tidak pernah ditutup dan gerakan mencarinya akan berterusan sehingga pihak yang bertanggungjawab dikenakan hukuman setimpal.

- Utusan Malaysia

Pelajar UiTM cipta jam pintar kesan budak hilang

2008-05-27T13:46:00.000+08:00

Oleh Norakmah Mat Youb

GEORGETOWN: Kehilangan Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, 5, yang dipercayai diculik awal tahun ini menjadi inspirasi sekumpulan pelajar Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) untuk menghasilkan jam pintar.

Produk yang menggunakan jam tangan digital dan dilengkapi cip pengenalan frekuensi radio (RFID), berfungsi menyedarkan ibu bapa dengan mengeluarkan bunyi jika anak mereka dilarikan atau terpisah dari jarak tertentu.

Ciptaan pelajar tahun akhir jurusan Pengkomputeran Perniagaan UiTM, dipamerkan pada Pertandingan Penyelidikan dan Inovasi Kebangsaan (NRIC) di Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), yang bermula semalam.

Ketua Projek, Nur Azry Zainudin, berkata ibu bapa yang menggunakan produk itu perlu menampal pelekat RFID pada baju atau kasut anak mereka dan menetapkan jarak dikehendaki.

Jika anak mereka berada melebihi jarak yang ditetapkan, isyarat akan dihantar kepada jam itu untuk memaklumkan bahawa anak mereka sudah berada jauh, sekali gus menyedarkan ibu bapa.

"Jadi, ibu bapa tidak perlu bimbang jika mereka terleka seperti ketika membeli-belah," katanya kepada pemberita selepas perasmian NRIC di USM di sini, semalam.

Pertandingan tiga hari itu, mempamerkan kira-kira 145 hasil penyelidikan pelajar ijazah pertama daripada 19 institusi pengajian tinggi awam dan swasta seluruh negara.

Pertandingan itu juga membuka peluang kepada pelajar menghasilkan lebih banyak penyelidikan ke arah penghasilan produk berkualiti dan bertaraf antarabangsa untuk tujuan pengkomersialan.

Jam pintar itu dihasilkan Nur Azry bersama empat rakannya, Mohd Shafizal Zainal Abidin, Syed Mohd Faizal Syed Kuning, Mohamad Redzmi Mohamad Radzuan dan Izzaldin Misri dengan kos RM102.

Nur Azry berkata, buat masa ini jam pintar itu hanya boleh dilekatkan pada lima barang, seperti dompet, baju, kasut dan dilengkapi kod nombor tertentu untuk jarak berbeza sehingga 15 meter.

"Contohnya, nombor satu untuk dompet dengan jarak 10 sentimeter. Sekiranya dompet terjatuh, secara automatik jam berbunyi dan tertera nombor satu. Terpulang kepada pengguna untuk menentukan kod nombornya," katanya yang bersedia untuk mengkomersilkan produk itu.

- Berita Harian

Serving with hearts of gold

2008-05-23T08:52:00.001+08:00

About a week ago, I received an e-mail from an officer from KPWKM (Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga & Masyarakat) extending an invitation to participate in a 2-day workshop on National Child Protection Policy organised by the Ministry.

Naturally, being part of the team initiating and promoting Nurin Alert, I accepted the invitation believing that I could utilise that platform to continue pushing for the incorporation of Nurin Alert into the National Child Protection Policy. But I forgot to asked on what capacity was I invited. Was it as Nurin's uncle or as representative of the Citizens for Nurin Alert Society (C4NA).

So a couple of days later, I called and asked, and in response, the officer told me that I would be there as a close relative to Nurin, the hideous crime victim that no Malaysians can ever forget.

Though I would not be there as a team member of C4NA (as I would like to), I had nevertheless contacted my fellow Committee Members for any input that could be forwarded in the workshop that I would be attending.

So come yesterday (21st May), taking a two days annual leave just to attend this event, I was at the Flamingo Hotel registering myself for the workshop.

To my surprise and beyond my expectation, the workshop was not an ordinary workshop that I am used to. The workshop was a grand "workshop" with 70 over participants with the Minister officiating its commencement! It was like full scale Conference!

I was initially tempted to dress casually for the workshop but luckily I put on my office attire instead. Also to be on a safer side I brought my neck-tie along, just in case. And what were the other male participants wearing? They were wearing suits! Oh my my! So I quickly put on the neck-tie and hence avoided myself from having this inferiority complex amongst the Datuks, Professors and experts in the field of child protection, all of whom are the big names in the country.

At the registration counter, the reception lady asked for my name and from which organisation I was from. So I told her my name and told her that I'm not representing any particular body but on my personal capacity.

So the lady went on searching for my name from the very long list and alas, we found my name. Guess what was stated in the attendance list? It's Encik Jasni Abdul Jalil (Penulis Blog Nurin)! And the "Penulis Blog Nurin" was in bold!

Wow, this is a surprise, an extraordinary surprise. I have never thought that a "Penulis Blog" could be invited to an event alongside the 70 over experts representing a fairly comprehensive cross section of the stakeholders in the area of child protection. What a recognition!

Frankly, before I accidently became a "Penulis Blog", I had never participated in any big event that had nothing to do either with my work, my involvement in community affairs or my studies. Child protection issues was never my cup of tea until I got stumbled into our frantic search for the then missing Nurin.

When Nurin was discovered, dead, battered and abused, encouraged and supported by a group of concerned citizens, we started initiating Nurin Alert, a mechanism modelled after the much successful USA's Amber Alert, with the hope that no one else would face the bitter experience endured by us in searching and rescuing Nurin.

It was due to this affiliation with Citizens for Nurin Alert that made me started to read more about child protection, started to meet influential personalities in pushing for Nurin Alert, started to give talks on Nurin Alert and of course started to write on the subject matter, though mostly are reproductions of reports and articles written by someone else but having relevence to the Nurin Alert initiative or anything on Nurin's tragedy.

Before Nurin, I was just anyone else, fully oblivious on matters that we thought was not really affecting us. We like to leave these daunting tasks to someone else, anyone except us.

And by attending the 2-day workshop, I had for the first time witnessed a group of people, people with hearts of gold, pouring energies and total passion in the cause of ensuring a better life of others.

They spoke with genuine passion, they act on their sincere believe and they divulge their time and energy for a cause that does not not bring in monetary gains but loads of other people's problems that they have adopted as theirs.

Hearing their pleas and their narration of incidences moved my emotion. On several occasions, I was teary eyed at the edge of crying listening to the sad stories they relayed.

I am now convinced that this land is indeed blessed with this group of people, a group of people working tirelessly for the good of others.

I am now also convinced that the nation is indeed heading towards achieving an environment of safe haven for children judging from the multiple strategies and action plans of the proposed National Child Protection Policy.

Whether Nurin Alert will ever materialise as Nurin Alert in name is not that very important, the important thing is that the nation will be prepared to react appropriately, swiftly and effectively so that there will never be another Nurin, another Sharlinie, another Asmawi.

The mechanism applied for Sharlinie and Asmawi was good, the mechanism was indeed ala-Nurin Alert. What is required now is the formalisation of the mechanism so that the response to a missing child incident would not vary depending on the personalities handling the matter or whose child went missing.

One of the strategy identified in the workshop is the establishment of an early warning system to protect children in need of protection. And towards this aim Standard Operating Procedures for each and every scenarios would be developed.

Though my involvement in the workshop was rather minimal, but seeing that efforts are being taken to address all issues affecting children, including those missing, I was indeed reassured that all those attending the workshop was on the same page as we in Nurin Alert are.

I am glad I attended the workshop. I hope to get more invitations to attend such events, not only to learn more but to progressively learning how to be a better person in helping others other than thinking about yourself and your family all the time only.

Kudos to the participants and the organiser of the workshop. You are truly the gems of the nation, the saviour of the children of the nation. You also have my utmost admiration.

Jasni AJ

Police to bring anti-crime roadshows to kindergartens

2008-05-08T22:26:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The police will embark on a roadshow to kindergartens to highlight to preschoolers the do's and don'ts to keep them safe.

City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman said the roadshow, to be launched this year, would include talks and mini exhibitions on crime prevention.

“We want to impart the 10 golden rules on safety to these kids to identify danger and to react to situations,” he said after launching a joint anti-crime project themed Towards Safety, Unity, and Harmony 2008 yesterday.

The joint project by the police, RakanCop and Smart Reader Worldwide Sdn Bhd is part of the RakanCop for Kids programme to be launched this year.

Getting kids involved: Children performing during the launch of the anti-crime project in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

DCP Muhammad Sabtu said the police also hoped to erase any fear the children may have of the police.

“Most pre-schoolers are four to six-years-old and that would be the appropriate age group to expose them to the awareness of crime and how to prevent it from happening,” he said.

DCP Muhammad Sabtu said the roadshow was important to check the rising crime rate affecting children.

He cited as example the brutal murder of seven-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, whose body was found stuffed in a bag at a staircase in Old Klang Road last September.

- The Star

Keluarga masih tunggu Sharlinie

2008-05-06T13:34:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 5 Mei - Keluarga Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, masih tidak berputus asa melakukan pelbagai usaha demi menjejaki kanak-kanak itu yang diculik dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumahnya, kira-kira empat bulan lalu.

Bapa mangsa, Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussein, 29, berkata, harapan keluarganya tidak pernah luntur sebaliknya sentiasa berdoa dan berikhtiar agar anak bongsunya itu kembali ke pangkuan keluarga dalam keadaan sama seperti dahulu.

"Kami masih meneruskan solat hajat dan bacaan Yasin pada setiap malam Jumaat di rumah dan masjid untuk mendoakan agar Sharlinie selamat pulang.

"Sharliena dan Amirah pula masih murung kerana memikirkan tentang adik mereka itu terutama apabila pulang dari sekolah apabila rakan-rakan lain turut bertanyakan soal Sharlinie," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia.

Hari ini masuk hari ke-118 kehilangan Sharlinie yang diculik ketika dalam perjalanan pulang selepas bermain bersama kakaknya, Sharliena di padang permainan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari rumahnya di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

Sementara itu, Mohd. Nashar berkata, dia sentiasa berhubung dengan pihak polis bagi mengikuti perkembangan siasatan kes penculikan Sharlinie.

Menurutnya, dia amat berterima kasih dengan bantuan semua pihak termasuk badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dan individu yang banyak mengorbankan masa serta tenaga bagi merancakkan usaha mencari anak bongsunya itu.

"Sudah sebulan lebih kami tidak menggunakan khidmat pihak luar seperti bomoh untuk membantu mengesan Sharlinie tetapi kami masih berhubung dengan polis," katanya.

- Utusan Malaysia

Masyarakat prihatin mampu atasi penculikan

2008-05-04T11:25:00.001+08:00

KES penculikan di negara ini seolah-olah tidak ada penghujungnya. Keadaan ini seakan-akan bertali arus tanpa ada yang cuba menghalang daripada terus berlaku. Golongan kecil seperti kanak-kanak bawah umur adalah mangsa paling diminati untuk diculik dan dilarikan. Kes adik Nurin Jazlin, adik Sharlinie dan yang terbaru adik Asmawi diculik tanpa ada sesiapa yang menyedari kehilangan si kecil ini. Di manakah mereka sekarang?

Terbaru kes seorang eksekutif, Woo Yeen Yeen, 24, yang diculik sejurus keluar dari pintu pagar rumah tanpa sesiapa menyedarinya. Walaupun hanya diculik tidak melebihi masa 24 jam, tetapi hanya mangsa merasai trauma penculikan.

Apabila diimbas kembali, kes yang berlaku terhadap Allahyarham adik Nurin Jazlin sangat menyayat hati dan menggemparkan seluruh negara. Kekejaman yang dilakukan terhadap si kecil ini seolah-olah si pemangsa sememangnya menyimpan dendam teramat sangat.

Siapakah manusia yang berhati kejam itu? Tiada sesiapa mampu menjawab segala persoalan itu. Kini, bukan seorang, malah dua orang si kecil yang masih tidak mengerti erti kehidupan menjadi mangsa.

Ia adalah kes yang disebarkan, tetapi adakah kita menyedari masih banyak kes seperti ini berlaku di luar sana yang tidak dilaporkan. Keadaan ini dilihat seperti kejadian biasa tetapi adakah kita memahami perasaan ahli keluarga mangsa.

Kehilangan seseorang yang dilahirkan, dijaga, ditatang bagai minyak yang penuh, yang sentiasa dalam perhatian tetapi tiba-tiba lenyap daripada pandangan. Adakah kita berasa dan mengerti perasaan terbuku di hati keluarga mereka?

Sememangnya semua ini tidak dirancang dan kita tidak mengetahui apa yang akan terjadi kelak. Tetapi dengan cara berhati-hati dan tidak alpa mampu memberi satu sinar baru kepada kita semua sebagai insan yang inginkan kebebasan tanpa sebarang ancaman.

Kesedaran untuk memberi bantuan dan bekerjasama dalam kalangan masyarakat kita dan ia menjadi satu perkara amat penting dalam membanteras kes penculikan ini, di samping kita sebagai masyarakat yang bersatu hati demi keamanan negara tercinta.

NADIA AZIMAH,
Muadzam Shah,
Pahang Darul Makmur.

Penguatkuasaan Akta Kanak-kanak 2001

2008-05-03T18:29:00.002+08:00

Akhir bulan lalu pihak polis mengumumkan bahawa mereka akan menguatkuasakan Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 terhadap mana-mana ibu bapa yang didapati cuai hingga menyebabkan anak-anak mereka hilang atau diculik.

Mengikut peruntukan dalam akta itu, ibu bapa yang melakukan perbuatan aniaya, abai, cuai, buang atau mendedahkan kanak-kanak kepada kemungkinan kecederaan fizikal, mental dan emosi boleh didakwa di mahkamah.

Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar memberitahu, jika sabit kesalahan, mereka yang terlibat boleh dihukum denda maksimum RM20,000 atau penjara maksimum 10 tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali.

Beliau menyifatkan tindakan itu wajar ekoran kes penculikan dan kehilangan kanak-kanak didapati semakin meningkat sejak kebelakangan ini.

Berikutan dengan pengumuman itu, beberapa respons masyarakat telah disuarakan dan yang terkini adalah sepucuk surat dari seorang pembaca Utusan Malaysia yang disiarkan pada 30 April. Berikut disiarkan kembali surat itu:-

POLIS seperti mahu lepas tangan apabila mereka mengumumkan pelaksanaan Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001.

Semua beban mengenai keselamatan kanak-kanak hendak diserahkan kepada masyarakat secara total.

Kejadian seperti yang berlaku kepada Sharlinie merupakan kejadian yang langsung tidak dikehendaki oleh ibu bapa mereka. Tiada ibu bapa yang waras mahu membenarkan anak mereka diculik dan diperlakukan dengan sewenangnya oleh penjenayah.

Pihak polis memberikan alasan kadar kes penculikan yang semakin tinggi sebagai faktor untuk mereka melaksanakan akta ini.

Apakah dengan menghukum ibu bapa maka peratusan ini akan berkurangan sedangkan masih ramai penjenayah di luar sana yang sudah cukup bersedia dengan pelbagai taktik untuk melakukan kegiatan mereka?

Penjenayah mampu melakukan kegiatan apabila mereka melihat peluang yang ada dan menjangkakan bahawa kegiatan yang mereka lakukan itu tidak membawa banyak masalah kepada mereka.

Apabila kita berbicara tentang kejadian jenayah, kita tidak mampu lari daripada membincangkan tentang kelonggaran sistem keselamatan kawasan persekitaran yang turut disumbangkan oleh kelemahan pihak polis dalam menjalankan tugas.

Kes-kes penculikan yang tidak dapat diselesaikan oleh pihak polis juga menjadi faktor kepada penjenayah untuk melakukan perkara yang sama berulang kali. Penjenayah beranggapan bahawa taktik mereka sudah berjaya dan kegiatan mereka seperti sukar dijejak oleh pihak polis.

Selain itu, pelaksanaan akta ini turut memberi gambaran kepada masyarakat bahawa kawasan kejiranan di Malaysia sudah lagi tidak selamat untuk kanak-kanak membesar.

Seperti yang berlaku pada Sharlinie, dia diculik di lokasi yang jaraknya 200 meter dari tempat kediamannya. Adakah sekarang anak-anak kita sudah berada di zon bahaya apabila keluar 200 meter dari kawasan rumah? Apakah punca kawasan kejiranan sudah tidak lagi selamat?

Kawasan kejiranan yang selamat selalunya dapat diwujudkan dengan kehadiran pihak berkuasa secara kerap ataupun pihak berkuasa mampu respons dengan cepat kepada segala aduan yang disampaikan penduduk.

Pihak polis seharusnya memastikan bahawa penjenayah mempunyai ruang yang minimum untuk mereka bergerak sejurus mereka melakukan aktiviti jenayah.

Sekiranya kita merujuk kepada Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 yang membolehkan ibu bapa dihukum maksimum RM20,000 atau penjara maksimum 20 tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali, pelbagai masalah tambahan akan timbul.

Sekiranya ibu atau bapa sudah dipenjara atau dikenakan denda maka keluarga tersebut akan ditimpa dengan bebanan yang baru. Bagaimana pula nasib ahli keluarga yang masih perlu ditanggung?

Langkah polis menempatkan balai polis di kawasan kejiranan sememangnya satu langkah bijak namun melaksanakan Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 yang menjurus kepada menghukum ibu bapa dan bukan kepada penjenayah yang melakukannya adalah suatu tindakan yang tidak wajar.

AZMI AHMAD

Kuala Lumpur.

Apa pula kata anda?

Bantuan dan maklumat cari Sharlinie perlu diteruskan: Hishammuddin

2008-04-30T22:39:00.000+08:00

PUTRAJAYA: Orang ramai perlu terus menyalurkan bantuan dan maklumat kepada keluarga Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, 5, yang hilang sejak Januari lalu bagi membantu usaha mengesan kanak-kanak malang itu yang sudah berlanjutan lebih 100 hari.

Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, berkata bantuan termasuk semangat dan sokongan boleh memberi keyakinan kepada ibu bapa Sharlinie, Mohd Nashar Mat Hussin, 29, dan Suraya Ahmad, 28, untuk terus menjejaki anak mereka.

"Kesedihan yang ditanggung kedua-dua ibu bapa adik Sharlinie sebenarnya turut dirasai semua rakyat Malaysia dan saya mendoakan keluarga mereka supaya terus tabah serta sabar dalam menghadapi dugaan ini.

"Justeru, saya berharap orang ramai akan terus beri maklumat dan semangat supaya mereka tidak putus asa," katanya pada sidang media di sini, hari ini.

Terdahulu, beliau menyampaikan cek sumbangan warga Bahagian Pendidikan Guru dan Institut Pendidikan Perguruan (IPG) bernilai RM21,800 kepada Mohd Nashar dan Suraya.

Sharlinie, 5, dilaporkan hilang 9 Januari lalu selepas keluar bermain di taman permainan berdekatan rumahnya, di Taman Medan PJS 2, Petaling Jaya.

Sementara itu, Mohd Nashar, ketika ditemui pemberita, berkata beliau masih berusaha mengesan Sharlinie di sekitar kediaman mereka dengan bantuan jiran dan ahli keluarga.

"Saya tidak akan berhenti dari mencari anak saya kerana yakin anak saya masih selamat...cuma ketika ini tidak tahu di mana dia berada...hanya Tuhan saja yang tahu," katanya.

- Berita Harian

Waspada setiap masa benteng lindungi anak

2008-04-16T17:38:00.000+08:00

Oleh Syahadatul Hafizah Abdullah

BERDASARKAN fakta sejak 1984 lalu, banyak peristiwa tragik dan menyayat hati membabitkan pembunuhan kejam, rogol dan penculikan berlaku. Dari 1984 hingga Februari 2006, sebanyak 87 kes rogol dan bunuh dilaporkan. Daripada jumlah itu, hanya 23 kes atau pun 26.4 peratus berjaya diselesaikan dan pesalah dijatuhi hukuman.

Kes seperti itu bagaikan tiada noktah. Misalnya, kita masih meratapi pemergian Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, kehilangan Sharlinie Mohd Nashar yang masih tidak tahu beritanya dan terbaru kes sadis Nurul Amira.

Apa yang berlaku kepada Nurin Jazlin adalah satu peristiwa yang mendapat perhatian seluruh negara. Kesakitan dan penderitaan dialami kanak-kanak berusia 8 tahun ini tidak dapat dibayangkan. Begitu juga dengan trauma yang terpaksa dihadapi ibu bapa, adik beradik dan keluarga arwah Nurin Jazlin. Berat mata memandang berat lagi bahu yang memikul.

Pada 18 Mei 1999, Audrey Melissa Bathinathan, 17, dijumpai mati berhampiran Sekolah Perempuan Methodist Kuala Lumpur, tempat beliau belajar. Hasil bedah siasat mendapati mangsa dipukul di kepala, dirogol dan dijerut.

Mayat Noor Suzaily Mukhtar, 24, ditemui di Taman Bukit Tinggi, Klang pada 7 Oktober 2000. Mangsa dirogol dan dibunuh dalam sebuah bas ekspres dan mayatnya dicampak di sebuah jalan di kawasan pembinaan di taman itu. Pada 23 Oktober 2000, Nor Shuhada Borak, 6, ditemui mati dalam tangki air di bumbung bangunan kediaman tiga tingkat jenis town house di Selayang dalam keadaan separuh bogel dan lebam pada muka dan tangan. Mangsa dipercayai dirogol sebelum dibunuh.

Gadis berusia 17 tahun, Farrah Deeba Rustam dirogol dan dibunuh di bawah jambatan jalan masuk ke Kampung Tersusun Batu 2, Jalan Lama Bidor-Tapah pada 14 Februari 2001. Mangsa mati akibat dijerut menggunakan tali. Nurul Hanis Kamil dibunuh dalam semak selepas pulang dari sekolah di Serkam Darat, Merlimau, Melaka pada 3 Julai 2001. Sementara itu, seorang kanak-kanak perempuan berusia tujuh tahun dirogol dan diliwat sehingga terkeluar usus oleh dua remaja berusia 19 tahun ketika merompak keluarga mangsa di rumahnya di Taman Bukit Maluri, Kepong pada 13 Ogos 2001.

Norshakila Ramli Choo, 6, pula dirogol sebelum dibunuh di Taman Tasik Permai Ampang pada 1 April 2002, manakala seorang pelajar sekolah menengah ditolak dari atas jejantas, ditendang dan dicekik sebelum dirogol di bawah jejantas Jalan Reko, Kajang antara jam 2.35 petang dan 4.00 petang pada 8 Oktober 2002. Mangsa patah tulang belakang dan nyaris meninggal dunia. Kaki dan tangan mangsa juga diikat ke belakang dan badannya ditutup dengan plastik hitam, mulut disumbat dengan stoking dan diikat dengan sapu tangan sebelum ditinggalkan.

Pada 6 November 2002, Siti Nurliyana Shamimi Rosdi, kanak-kanak berusia dua tahun diculik, dirogol dan dibunuh, dijumpai dalam keadaan bogel di tebing Sungai Kedah, kira-kira 500 meter dari rumahnya di Kampung Seberang Terus.

Hasil bedah siasat mendapati ada kesan koyak pada kemaluan mangsa, selain lebih 40 kesan luka pada badan. Mangsa juga mengalami pendarahan dalam otak, dipercayai akibat dipukul dengan benda keras.

Noritta Samsudin, 22 dijumpai mati di Kondominium Puncak Prima Galleria, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur pada 5 Disember 2003. Mangsa dikatakan dirogol sebelum dibunuh. Pada 13 Jun 2003, Canny Ong Lay Kian dilarikan dari tempat letak kereta Bangsar Shopping Centre di ibu negara. Mayat mangsa ditemui separuh rentung di dalam longkang di tepi Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur.

Kanak-kanak berusia 10 tahun, Hasirawati Saridi ditemui mati dipercayai dibunuh dan dirogol ketika dalam perjalanan ke sekolah di Kampung Ratau, Menggatal, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah pada 8 Januari 2004.

Pada 17 Januari 2004 seorang kanak-kanak berusia 10 tahun, Nurul Huda Abdul Ghani dirogol, diliwat sebelum dibunuh di pondok pengawal stesen pencawang Tenaga Nasional Berhad Kampung Pekajang, Gelang Patah, Johor. Mayatnya ditemui berbogel tersandar pada dinding tandas pondok pengawal terbabit dalam keadaan mencangkung. Mazny Abdullah dari Junjung, Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang dibunuh pada 23 November 2004, manakala Siti Syazwani Ahmad Dusuki, 9 tahun dibunuh selepas dirogol di Taman Rhu pada 22 Disember 2004.

Masih ingatkah lagi apa yang berlaku kepada mereka ini? Sudah pasti kita masih ingat kerana kes itu mendapat liputan besar di media tempatan. Apabila kita membaca kisah Nurin Jazlin, misalnya ramai berasa sedih dan hiba, malah ada juga terkejut dan marah.

Sudah tiba masanya sesuatu dilakukan untuk mencegah berulangnya kes seumpama ini. Ketika ramai yang bercakap dan memberi pelbagai cadangan selepas apa yang berlaku pada Nurin Jazlin, ironinya kes seumpama itu terus berlaku. Persoalannya bilakah pandangan dan cadangan membendung kes seperti itu boleh dilaksanakan? Bila pula kita akan mengambil tindakan untuk mengubah keadaan ini? Adakah kita hendak menunggu siapa selepas Nurin Jazlin baru ada kesedaran?

Kita tidak boleh mengharapkan seratus peratus kepada pihak kerajaan, terutama polis untuk menghindar perbuatan kejam seperti itu. Kita, sebagai warga yang prihatin dan beradab harus sama-sama berusaha mengatasi dan mengelak kejadian seperti itu.

Paling tidak, pastikan anak kecil termasuk yang bersekolah agar sentiasa dalam keadaan selamat ketika bermain di luar rumah atau ketika pergi dan pulang dari sekolah. Kita harus berjaga-jaga dan berwaspada sepanjang masa sebelum terkena. Kita mahu terus tinggal di negara tercinta dalam aman dan selamat.

Penulis ialah Ketua Unit Media dan Penyelidikan Hal Ehwal Wanita & Mahasiswa Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya (PMIUM)

- Berita Harian

Polis tidak putus asa siasat kes Sharlinie, Nurin

2008-04-12T09:51:00.001+08:00

KANGAR 10 April - Polis tidak akan berputus asa dalam menyiasat kes kehilangan Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar dan Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin kerana itu tanggungjawab serta amalan kerja pasukan itu.

Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Datuk Ismail Omar berkata, polis masih berusaha menjejaki petunjuk-petunjuk baru bagi menyelesaikan kes-kes tersebut.

''Kita tidak akan menutup begitu sahaja kes-kes ini dan akan mencari jalan (menyiasat).

''Kerjasama semua pihak termasuk media diperlukan bagi memastikan mereka yang bertanggungjawab atas jenayah yang dilakukan itu diheret ke muka pengadilan," katanya di sini hari ini.

Beliau bercakap pada sidang akhbar selepas melancarkan Kor Sukarelawan Siswa Siswi (Suksis) Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMap) di Dewan Kapitol UniMap di sini hari ini.

Pada 9 Januari lalu, Sharlinie diculik ketika perjalanan pulang selepas bermain bersama kakaknya di padang permainan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari rumahnya di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

Allahyarham Nurin pula hilang ketika keluar seorang diri ke pasar malam berhampiran rumahnya di Seksyen 1, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur sebelum mayatnya dijumpai pada 17 September lalu iaitu selepas 27 hari kehilangannya.

- Utusan Malaysia

UiTM anjur program keselamatan kanak-kanak

2008-04-11T21:04:00.000+08:00

SHAH ALAM, Orang ramai khususnya penduduk di Lembah Klang dijemput menghadiri program kesedaran keselamatan kanak-kanak pada Sabtu ini di Dewan Serbaguna Menara TM, Jalan Pantai Baru, Kuala Lumpur bermula pukul 8.30 pagi.Program anjuran pelajar-pelajar tahun akhir kursus Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perhubungan Awam (e-PJJ), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) itu mendapat kerjasama Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), Polis Diraja Malaysia dan Majlis Kebangsaan Pertubuhan Wanita.

Ahli Jawatankuasa Publisiti program, Kamaruzaman Abu berkata, program tersebut diadakan bertujuan meningkatkan kesedaran ibu bapa serta kanak-kanak tentang risiko yang berada di sekeliling mereka.

"Ibu bapa dan kanak-kanak perlu sentiasa diingatkan tentang bahaya yang ada di sekitar mereka.

"Langkah sebegini sedikit sebanyak dapat membantu mereka supaya lebih berwaspada dan tahu cara-cara menjaga keselamatan diri," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Menurutnya, satu demonstrasi penjagaan keselamatan juga akan dipertontonkan kepada orang ramai yang akan dilakukan oleh Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Aktiviti Yayasan Pencegahan Jenayah Malaysia, Kamal Affandi Hashim.

Selain itu, ibu bapa kepada kanak-kanak yang diculik, Nurin Jazlin dan Sharlinie akan berkongsi pengalaman mereka bersama pada hadirin.

- Utusan Malaysia

Swift action by cops and villagers foil abduction attempt

2008-04-07T21:57:00.000+08:00

Monday April 7, 2008

By LOURDES CHARLES

PETALING JAYA: It would have been another Nurin Jazlin Jazimin or Sharlinie Mohd Nashar case, but this time alert passers-by plus swift police action prevented a five-year-old girl from being the next victim of abduction.

The incident took place in Kampung Datuk Harun at 1.15am yesterday when three men abducted the girl right from the doorstep of her house and sped off.

Police who were informed of the incident at 5.30am mobilised their task force as well as alerted residents in the suburbs.

Within minutes, residents in the village provided police with details and the make of the vehicle which they saw speeding off.

Four people including a woman were arrested at 11.30am and the girl was rescued moments later at a house also in Kampung Datuk Harun.

Selangor CPO Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said swift response by the villagers enabled police to close down on the abductors that led to their arrests.

“The police together with the local residents mounted a door-to-door search as well as conducted road blocks within the area and surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Initial investigations revealed that the woman is believed to be a close relative of the girl and we are investigating them for abduction,” he said.

DCP Khalid said that police were grateful to the residents for their alertness and their cooperation in providing valuable information that enabled police to solve the case within hours.

He, however, took to task the girl’s father who only lodged a report some four hours after the abduction.

“Every second is very important to us and lodging a report four hours after an incident like this could have resulted in the girl being taken out of the country,” he added.

- The Star

Tests planned for DNA samples of suspect in Sharlinie case

2008-04-05T13:25:00.003+08:00

By ANDREW SAGAYAM

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will send DNA samples of a suspect identified in the abduction of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar to their counterparts in the United States soon.

Federal CID director Commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin said the suspect, although not caught yet, had been identified.

“We obtained the DNA samples and will send them to the US for further tests, once we have approval to do so,” he said, but declined to comment further on their findings when met at his office in Bukit Aman here yesterday.

Comm Mohd Bakri said police would continue their search for Sharlinie and welcomed any information on the girl from the public, but warned against false information.

“Please think of Sharlinie’s parents and family members. We don’t want to mislead or give them false hopes,” Comm Mohd Bakri said, adding that police would also check on false info via e-mail, letters and phone calls.

Sharlinie has been missing since Jan 9. Although it has been 85 days, her father Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain still believes she is alive.

“I can’t concentrate on work and I think of her all the time. I still believe that she is out there, alive,” he told reporters in a subdued tone.

Yesterday, Sharlinie’s family received RM2,000 from the Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division to ease their financial burden. Mohd Nashar said he earned RM40 a day.

Sharlinie’s mother Suraya Ahmad was silent, speaking up only once to plead for the little girl’s safe return.

“I know she is still alive,” she said, holding back tears.

- The Star

Five picked up so far

2008-04-02T23:03:00.001+08:00

By MUZLIZA MUSTAFA

SELANGOR police have so far picked up fi ve children found wandering alone following a recent directive by its chief, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

The children, all boys, aged between seven and 10, were picked up at cybercafes, on the streets and at a shopping complex in Petaling Jaya and Gombak. They were taken to the respective district police headquarters.
Khalid said the boys’ parents were asked to pick up their children from the station.

"Their parents were asked why their children were allowed to wander out, alone and unsupervised," he said.

Khalid said some parents had told police that they were at work while some admitted that their children liked to wander around after school.

"We had to advise them to keep a close eye on their children all the time," he said. He added that one of the cybercafes was found to be operating illegally and action had been taken against the owner.

The directive, issued by Khalid on March 17, ordered officers to take children — aged 10 and below — found wandering alone or in places they should not be, to their respective stations.

Khalid said the measure was due to the increasing number of children who have gone missing.

He had urged NGOs to help police by contacting the authorities if they see any children in that age group wandering around town.

Khalid said children at that age, especially girls, are 'fragile'.

In some cases, he said, children went missing after several hours, prompting their parents to lodge police reports.

There were also those who went missing after going out to play, such as the recent case of 11-year-old Mohd Asmawi Jalaludin, who has been missing since March 9 in Pantai Permai. His disappearance came two months after the disappearance of five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

Sharlinie was abducted on Jan 9, at a playground near her home in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

Nurin Jazlin Jazimin's case is deemed the most tragic of all.

The Year Two pupil of SRK Desa Setapak went missing on Aug 20 after going out alone to the night market near her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju.

Her body was found a month later, stuffed into a sports bag and left outside a shoplot in Petaling Jaya.

- The Malay Mail

Poster Sharlinie terus diedarkan

2008-03-31T21:26:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 30 Mac – Keluarga Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, tidak pernah mengabaikan tanggungjawab mereka dalam mencari kanak-kanak tersebut dan akan terus mengedar posternya kepada orang ramai.

Bapa kepada kanak-kanak malang itu, Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, berharap masyarakat tidak cepat berputus asa dan meminta orang ramai sama-sama membantu dalam misi mencari anak bongsunya itu.

“Buat masa ini, poster Sharlinie sudah habis diedarkan dan saya harap orang ramai tidak akan melupakan anak saya begitu sahaja walaupun tempoh kehilangannya sudah terlalu lama.

“Saya juga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada mereka yang sentiasa membantu dalam membuat rondaan mencari Sharlinie, mengedar poster dan menyalurkan maklumat kepada polis,” katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Sharlinie dilaporkan hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya, Sharliena, 8, dari padang permainan kira-kira 200 meter dari rumah mereka di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya pada pagi 9 Januari lalu.

Kehilangan Sharlinie yang kini masuk hari ke-82 terus menjadi misteri kerana tidak ada sebarang petunjuk yang dapat mengesan penculiknya serta lokasi kanak-kanak itu.

Menurut Mohd. Nashar, beliau masih lagi menunggu laporan daripada pihak polis untuk mengetahui sebarang perkembangan tentang kes anaknya itu.

Bagi pihak beliau, katanya, mereka akan terus membuat rondaan di kawasan-kawasan tertentu yang dipercayai dijadikan tempat penyembunyian Sharlinie.

“Kami tetap akan membuat rondaan dan menyerahkan kerja siasatan kepada polis,” katanya.

- Utusan Malaysia

Asmawi dilihat di Bangsar

2008-03-30T12:37:00.001+08:00

Oleh Ifwan Tun Tuah

Polis terima maklumat budak seirasnya merayau di pusat beli-belah

KUALA LUMPUR: Kanak-kanak yang hilang sejak 9 Mac lalu, Muhammad Asmawi Jalaludin, 11, dikatakan dilihat berkeliaran di kawasan pusat beli-belah Bangsar Village, Bangsar di sini, Jumaat lalu.

Ketua Polis Daerah Brickfields, Asisten Komisioner Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid, berkata polis menerima maklumat orang awam mendakwa ternampak seorang kanak-kanak mirip Muhammad Asmawi di kawasan itu kira-kira jam 4 petang.

"Pemberi maklumat itu mendakwa kanak-kanak itu menyerupai gambaran Muhammad Asmawi yang kita sebarkan sebelum ini.

"Berikutan itu, kita menghantar tiga pasukan polis melakukan pencarian di sekitar kawasan terbabit namun tidak menemuinya," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.

Beliau berkata, beberapa pasukan dihantar ke kawasan sama kelmarin dan semalam dengan harapan Muhammad Asmawi mungkin berada di tempat itu, yang menjadi tumpuan remaja berkumpul pada malam minggu.

"Usaha kita bagaimanapun tidak berhasil kerana semua orang yang ditemui dan ditunjukkan gambar Muhammad Asmawi berkata tidak pernah melihatnya berada di kawasan berkenaan," katanya.

Wan Abdul Bari bagaimanapun berterima kasih kepada orang awam yang prihatin mengenai kehilangan pelajar tahun lima itu dan menyalurkan maklumat berguna kepada polis.

Muhammad Asmawi dikatakan hilang selepas berpisah dengan rakannya di satu persimpangan kira-kira 50 meter dari rumahnya di Pantai Dalam di sini, jam 6.30 petang, 9 Mac lalu.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Wan Abdul Bari berkata, polis serta keluarga Muhammad Asmawi tidak lagi menerima maklumat palsu atau berunsur ugutan sejak seorang remaja disyaki menghantar SMS ugutan kepada keluarga itu ditahan di Sabah, Selasa lalu.

Remaja lelaki berusia 19 tahun itu ditahan di sebuah rumah di Kota Kinabalu kerana disyaki menghantar SMS berbunyi 'Asmawi ada di sini. Tapi syarat bagi duit RM5,000' ke telefon bimbit kakak Muhammad Asmawi, Saudah, 30, pada 11 Mac lalu, tiga hari selepas kanak-kanak itu dilaporkan hilang.

Mengulas lanjut, Wan Abdul Bari berkata, polis akan meneruskan usaha mencari Muhammad Asmawi dan tidak akan berputus asa sehingga kanak-kanak itu ditemui.

- Berita Harian

Police Switch To Nocturnal Operations To Trace Missing Boy

2008-03-28T00:21:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Police have switched to nocturnal operations to trace the whereabouts of 11-year-old Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin who has been reported missing since March 9.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman said the move to conduct such searches followed intelligence which revealed that Asmawi was known to have spent several nights at the homes of close friends.

"We are focusing on housing estates in Pantai Dalam, Dataran Merdeka, KL Sentral, under bridges, video game centres, mosques and bus stations," he told reporters here today.

He said police classified Asmawi's case as missing from family custody, not abduction.

Asmawi, a primary five student of Sekolah Kebangsaan La Salle, Brickfields was reported missing on the way home from a playground near his house in Jalan Permai Tujuh.

-- BERNAMA

Keluarga Sharlinie tertekan terima dua SMS ugutan

2008-03-25T22:21:00.000+08:00

Oleh ZULKIFLI MANZOR

PETALING JAYA 24 Mac – Bapa Sharlinie, Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussian, 29, mengakui beliau dan keluarganya kini bertambah tertekan serta keliru mengenai nasib sebenar anak perempuannya itu ketika ini.

Mohd. Nashar berkata, keadaannya itu ekoran dua khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) berbau ugutan yang diterimanya daripada seorang individu tidak dikenali baru-baru ini.

Menurutnya, walaupun polis telah menahan seorang pemuda Pakistan berusia 32 tahun disyaki penghantar SMS tersebut, namun kedudukan sebenar anaknya belum diketahui.

“SMS itu meminta wang RM25,000 daripada saya sekiranya mahu Sharlinie dibebaskan.

“Saya tidak pasti sama ada apa yang ditulis melalui SMS tersebut benar atau tidak,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Petaling Jaya di sini hari ini.

Utusan Malaysia hari ini melaporkan seorang pemuda Pakistan yang mendakwa dirinya peguam, ditahan petang kelmarin kerana disyaki menghantar khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) ugutan dan meminta wang RM25,000 untuk ‘membebaskan’ Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, yang kononnya ada dalam jagaannya di Sabah.

Dia yang merupakan orang ketiga ditahan setakat ini kerana menghantar SMS ugutan berhubung kes kehilangan Sharlinie, direman selama empat hari bermula semalam hingga 26 Mac ini.

Lelaki Pakistan itu yang sebenarnya merupakan perunding teknologi maklumat (IT) menghantar SMS dalam bahasa Inggeris yang bermaksud, “Sharlinie dalam jagaan saya, disimpan di rumah Elisiah binti Abat, Kampung Rampai, Peti Surat 139, Kudat, Sabah.Jika anda bawa RM25,000 ke Sabah, dia akan dipulangkan. Jangan lapor kepada polis atau dia (Sharlinie) hilang selama-lamanya. QNB. 013-3653253).”

Mohd. Nashar berkata, beliau pada mulanya tidak percaya pada SMS itu ketika ia dihantar kali pertama, tetapi beliau menjadi takut apabila menerima satu lagi SMS daripada nombor sama.

Jelasnya, SMS pertama diterima pada 21 Mac lalu, kira-kira pukul 3.30 pagi manakala SMS kedua diterima keesokannya pada waktu hampir sama dan beliau kurang memahami maksud SMS tersebut kerana ia dihantar dalam bahasa Inggeris.

SMS kedua itu dalam bahasa Inggeris bermaksud: “Jika tak dapat RM25,000 sebelum Isnin, Sharlinie akan dibunuh dan dibuang ke Laut KK. Kamu diingatkan QNB adalah penasihat undang-undang Alqaiada, perancang pengeboman Lahore dan pembunuhan Benazir.”

Mohd. Nashar berkata, beliau dan isteri dipanggil polis hari ini untuk memberi keterangan dan menyerahkan sepenuhnya perkara itu kepada polis.

Sementara itu, ibu Sharlinie, Suraya Ahmad, 28, berkata, beliau tidak pasti sama ada SMS itu palsu atau benar kerana harapannya cuma Sharlinie ditemui secepat mungkin.

Jelasnya, beliau berasa amat sedih kerana masih ada pihak yang tidak faham akan kerisauan mereka dan mempermainkan mereka sekeluarga dengan menghantar SMS ugutan dan palsu.

“Sehingga kini saya yakin yang Sharlinie masih hidup dan selamat,” tegas Suraya.

- Utusan Malaysia

Keluarga semakin bimbang Asmawi hilang 15 hari

2008-03-24T13:49:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 22 Mac - Keluarga Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin melahirkan kebimbangan terhadap kehilangan kanak-kanak berusia 11 tahun itu yang kini masuk hari ke-14.

Ibu kanak-kanak itu, Rozita Abu Hassan, 50, berkata, sudah dua hari dia tidak menjamu makanan kerana tiada selera disebabkan terlalu merindui Muhamad Asmawi.

"Saya sangat risau. Saya selalu duduk diam dan sendirian mengingatkan anak saya, banyak kemungkinan bermain di fikiran saya.

"Adakah dia kini kesejukan? Adakah dia diberi makan? Semakin difikirkan semakin saya takut dengan keselamatannya kerana dia selalu sakit perut," katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di rumahnya di Kampung Pantai Dalam di sini hari ini.

Muhamad Asmawi atau Awie dilaporkan hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang dari taman permainan berdekatan Flat Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Kerinchi di sini pada petang 9 Mac lalu.

Menurut Rozita, dia dan suaminya sentiasa membuat rondaan di sekitar kawasan perumahan pada sebelah pagi dan kemudian mencari Muhamad Asmawi pada waktu malam.

Katanya, beberapa hari lalu keluarga Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, telah datang melawat mereka sekeluarga dan memberi bantuan dari segi kewangan untuk meringankan beban keluarganya.

"Ibu Allahyarham Nurin nasihatkan saya supaya sabar dan tidak rputus asa cari Muhamad Asmawi. Mereka turut sama-sama membantu edar poster kepada orang ramai," katanya.

Pada 20 Ogos 2007, Nurin Jazlin hilang selepas keluar seorang diri untuk ke pasar malam tidak jauh dari rumahnya di Wangsa Maju di sini.

Mayatnya kemudian ditemui di dalam sebuah beg pakaian yang ditinggalkan di hadapan premis perniagaan di Jalan PJS 1/48, Taman Petaling Utama, Petaling Jaya pada 17 September tahun lalu.

Rozita meminta orang ramai berdoa untuk keselamatan Muhamad Asmawi dan membantu dalam mencari kanak-kanak lelaki itu.

- Utusan Malaysia

Ganjaran RM20,000 rungkai kes Nurin

2008-03-23T10:48:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Ketua Biro Pengaduan Awam MCA, Datuk Micheal Chong menyatakan kesudiannya untuk membayar wang sagu hati RM20,000 secara tunai kepada sesiapa sahaja termasuk individu misteri yang membawa beg berisi mayat Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, pada 17 September lalu.

Chong yang ditemui semalam berkata, wang ganjaran itu akan dibayar kepada sesiapa sahaja yang mampu menrungkai misteri kehilangan dan pembunuhan Nurin Jazlin walaupun kes terbabit berlalu hampir tujuh bulan lalu.

Menurutnya, dia dan masyarakat masih berharap supaya pembunuh kanak-kanak itu ditemui, namun sehingga kini belum ada petunjuk baru ditemui.

“Oleh itu saya minta sesiapa sahaja yang mempunyai maklumat tampil. Malah jika lelaki yang membawa beg berisi mayat Nurin itu sudi membantu siasatan polis...wang itu adalah miliknya serta-merta.

“Kita tidak pasti sama ada lelaki yang membawa beg terbabit adalah penculik atau pembunuh. Mungkin dia diupah atau sebaliknya,” katanya.

Pada masa sama, dia turut menyelar kenyataan bapa mangsa, Jazimin Abd Jalil, 33, yang beranggapan polis tidak berminat lagi meneruskan siasatan pembunuhan anaknya kerana dia bukan dari golongan kenamaan atau kerabat istana.

Menurutnya, kenyataan Jazimin melalui sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris kelmarin itu dianggap menyedihkan kerana polis bersama masyarakat dan badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) sentiasa berusaha memastikan penjenayah bertanggungjawab diberkas.

“Malah pihak MCA beberapa kali pernah bermesyuarat dengan pihak polis Daerah Petaling Jaya dan Kuala Lumpur bagi mendapatkan butir perkembangan kes itu.

“Walaupun siasatan polis tidak dilaporkan butiran terperinci setiap hari di media namun saya yakin polis tidak pernah menutup kes itu,” katanya.

Menurutnya, bapa mangsa perlu bersabar dan berdoa kerana masih ramai ibu bapa yang kehilangan anak di luar sana turut mengalami penderitaan sama.

“Malah sehingga kini masih ramai yang gagal menemui anak masing-masing, malah tidak tahu apa kesudahannya,” katanya.

Menurutnya, pihak MCA sebelum ini turut membantu operasi menjejak kanak-kanak itu dengan kerjasama Yayasan Pencegahan Jenayah Malaysia (MCPF).

- Harian Metro

The week that was

2008-03-22T15:11:00.003+08:00

Dear Visitors,

Firstly, please kindly accept my apologies for not being able to update this blogsite since 8th March 2008 till today as my access to the internet was limited during the period as I was out of the country not once but twice. If you wish to know my whereabout during the period, please feel free to visit my other blog which is more of a personal journal.

To re-cap the events throughout the period, let's just revisit the week that was as follows :-

8th March 2008
Malaysia's 12th General Elections
For the very first time Malaysians witnessed the most unpredictable election results where the ruling Barisan Nasional Government lost their 2/3 majority in the Lower House. More surprising was the capturing of an additional 4 states namely Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor by the opposition alliance other than the existing opposition held state of Kelantan.

There were many casualties in the elections but we, as far as the C4NA community is concerned, mourned the defeat of Datuk Seri Shahrizat to PKR's Nurul Izzah.

Datuk Seri Shahrizat was key to the introduction of Nurin Alert and now with her departure from the legislative body, the C4NA would have to get all over started again.

9th March 2008
C4NA's official website launched.
After several months of under construction, C4NA's official website www.nurinalert.org went live at 0.01 am 9th March 2008. The website's came in being was made possible with the assistance rendered by Sdr. Mohd. Fadli Yusof, a new Committee Member of C4NA.

10th March 2008
Another Child went Missing
While the nation is still shocked with the kidnapping of murdered child Nurin Jazlin and the still unresolved kidnapping of Sharlinie, another child went missing today while playing in front of his house at Pantai Dalam. The child, Asmawi is still missing until today.

12th March 2008
News of Missing Asmawi First Reported
After three days since he went missing, news of his dissapearance was reported in over Buletin Utama TV3, a delay that was probably due to the late reporting of the incident.

13th March 2008
News of Missing Asmawi published in mainstream media
After 4 days of him went missing, news of missing Asmawi caught the media attention. The Star had this in their 13th March 2008 edition :-

An 11-year-old boy, Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin, who went to play with his friends at the Kampung Kerinchi flats located about 200m from his house on March 9, has gone missing.

Brickfields acting OCPD Supt Azri Abdul Rahman said Muhamad Asmawi usually went to his friends' flats nearby to play videogames.

The boy had gone to the nearby flats at around 5pm on March 9. When questioned by the police, his friends said that the SRK La Salle pupil had gone home at 6.30pm that day.

When the boy left the house, he was wearing a pink T-shirt and grey shorts.

"The boy was last seen at the Mid-Valley Megamall by a friend. We are scrutinising the CCTVs in the shopping complex to find out if he was there," Supt Azri said on Thursday.

He added that Muhammad Asmawi's mother, Rozita Abu Hassan, 50, had received an SMS demanding ransom of a sum of money.

Police have identified the sender of the SMS but have yet to track the person down.

Rozita, when met at her home in Kampung Kerinchi here on Thursday, said she waited for her youngest son to return until evening and decided to search for him in the area but to no avail.

"Usually he goes cycling and plays football in the evenings and would be back by 5pm," said the mother of seven.

Anyone with information on Muhamad Asmawi's disappearance can contact the Rakan COP hotline at 03-2115 9999 or SMS to 32728 or call Rozita at 019-255 0279.

14th March 2008
Ugly SMS surfaced again
Ugly SMS surfaced again. Not only misleading SMSs, there was also SMS demanding ransom sent to Asmawi's mother. Click here for the full report.

17th March 2008
House to House Search for Missing Asmawi Commences
The Police commenced House to House Search for Missing Asmawi. Click here for more nedws on the matter.

18th March 2008
Search for Asmawi intensifies
The search for missing Asmawi intensifies though facts have revealed that there might be certain other factors that casts doubts that he was ever been kidnapped. Check here for details.

19th March 2008
Shahrizat Appointed as Special Adviser
Datuk Seri Shahrizat was appointed as a Special Adviser to to the Prime Minister for Women and Social Development Affairs. Her appointment is definately a welcoming news at least to C4NA as the broken communication link leading to the implementation of Nurin Alert is now reconnected. Click here for more news on her appointment.

21st March 2008
Youth who sent ransom SMS napped
The youth, all the way from Kota Kinabalu was napped by the police for sending the SMS demanding ransom from Asmawi's mother. Click here for more details.

Thank you for your continued patronage. Let's work towards zero missing child from now onwards.

Jasni AJ

Giant bantu kurangkan beban bapa Sharlinie

2008-03-07T22:43:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: “Terima kasih banyak-banyak. Saya tidak sangka ada syarikat besar yang sudi menghulurkan bantuan,” kata Mohd Nashar Mat Husin, 29, bapa kepada kanak-kanak hilang, Sharlinie,5.

Beliau mendapat sokongan kewangan berbentuk tajaan gaji selama tiga bulan daripada pengendali Pasaraya Giant, GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Katanya, dia tahu mengenai penajaan itu sejak seminggu lalu dan amat terharu dengan sikap prihatin ditunjukkan syarikat berkenaan.

“Saya dalam dilema ketika ini kerana terpaksa memikirkan bagaimana menanggung keluarga kerana sudah masuk tiga bulan tidak bekerja.

“Dengan tajaan gaji ini, sekurang-kurangnya dalam tempoh beberapa bulan akan datang, saya boleh tumpukan perhatian dalam usaha mencari Sharlinie,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.

Mohd Nashar bekerja sebagai juruelektrik di Bandar Tasik Permasuri di sini, terpaksa mengambil keputusan berhenti kerja untuk mencari anaknya.

- Harian Metro

SEMENJAK NURIN KE SHARLINIE

2008-03-06T23:32:00.002+08:00

Semenjak Nurin
sehinggalah ke Sharlinie
adakah kita akan terus
tidak menghiraukan anak jiran
yang berkeliaran
di taman permainan sendirian
ke kedai tanpa teman
di lorong pintas keseorangan
entah siapa teman
sepermainan
tidak menjadi kehairanan
usahkan merasakan sama
bakal kehilangan.

Kembalikan hak jiran
menegur anak kita
kembalikan hak kita
memarahi anak jiran
tali kekeluargaan antara kita
telah lama terungkai
kerana keegoan kita
sehingga memangsakan kita
sendiri?

Kembalilah kita menjaga
tepi kain orang lain
supaya tepi kain kita juga
diperhatikan
jadikanlah kanak-kanak itu
seperti anak kita
seluruh warga negara
tanpa mengira bangsa dan
agama.

HASHIM YAHYA
Sek. 24, Shah Alam.

Dipetik dari Berita Harian Online

Polis yakin Sharlinie masih hidup

2008-03-03T13:01:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 2 Mac. - Polis menafikan dakwaan sesetengah pihak yang mengatakan Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar yang hilang sejak 54 hari lalu tidak dapat dikesan kerana kemungkinan kanak-kanak malang itu telah meninggal dunia.

Sebaliknya, menurut Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed, polis percaya Sharlinie masih hidup memandangkan tiada petanda yang menunjukkan kanak-kanak itu telah tiada.

"Kita yakin Sharlinie masih hidup. Setakat ini, walaupun maklumat yang diterima agak terhad, tetapi ia tidak bermaksud polis percaya kanak-kanak itu telah tiada dan seterusnya menghentikan operasi mencari," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas Majlis Pecah Tanah Sempena Pembinaan Balai Polis Baru Bandar Utama dekat sini hari ini.

Tambahnya, misi mencari Sharlinie, 5, masih diteruskan walaupun berdepan dengan kesibukan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12.

"Kita masih terus mencari Sharlinie berpandukan maklumat yang ada tetapi menggunakan pendekatan berbeza," jelasnya.

Sharlinie, 5, hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya dari padang permainan di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya kira-kira pukul 11.30 pagi 9 Januari lalu.

Pada majlis yang sama, Arjunaidi memberitahu, pembinaan balai polis baru berkonsepkan futuristik tersebut adalah bagi menggantikan pondok polis lama yang beroperasi dalam sebuah kontena sejak empat tahun lalu.

"Balai polis baru ini bakal dilengkapi bilik siasatan, bilik tahanan sementara, bilik senjata api, bilik taklimat dan juga dua unit kuarters apabila siap sepenuhnya pada April 2009."

"Selain itu, kemudahan logistik seperti kenderaan meronda, alatan komunikasi dan senjata juga turut diambil kira sejajar mewujudkan suasana bandar yang selamat seterusnya dapat memberi keyakinan kepada penduduk dan masyarakat di sini," katanya.

Turut hadir pada majlis itu ialah calon Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bukit Lanjan, Datin Paduka Yong Dai Ying, calon Ahli Parlimen Subang, S. Murugesan dan Pengarah Pembangunan Bandar Utama Sdn. Bhd., Datuk Teo Chiang Kok.

- Utusan Malaysia

Ambrose Sabastian speaks his mind once again

2008-02-27T13:56:00.004+08:00

He has spoken out once through his open letter to the Prime Minister and now he has issued another open letter, this time to the Inspector General of Police.

On his request, I am posting the open letter of his in full for your reading pleasure.

By posting the open letter, the moderator disclaims any responsibility for the comments or statements he made as the views expressed are solely his.

Jasni AJ
_____________________________________________________________________________________

(Om Jey Sakthi)

Ambrose Sabastian
( address deleted)
11950 Penang.

February 3, 2008.

Attention: Inspector-General of Police
C/o The Chief Police Officer, Penang.

Dear sir,

Re: Missing child Sharlinie.

Regarding the above subject, even fifty bomohs assistant were sought but still can’t find her What a pity? Even you Police guys are baffling to find her. Why not I help you to find her in few days? But my assistant comes with condition.

Before I was beginning to search the missing child, my last unlawful detention in Pulau Jerjak case must be investigated. Because I am innocent and the real criminal was outside after bribing the police. I was switched to the known criminal for the crimes he committed. If I work together with investigation officer within three days the investigation can be completed because I am the only one knows the truth. Recently I came to know two police special branch guys and I believe I can work with them. I am forwarding this letter through them.

Once the Police find out the truth should compensate for last twenty-five years of my suffering and public apology in press and media. All my black record should be deleted from police data. For my carrier I need two permits to continue my life peacefully. The corrupted policemen and the criminal should be charged in court.

Then I go for search the missing child Sharlinie case. I need two policemen to work with me. If she is nearby I can lead the police direct to the place. If she is far, I can’t travel. So I will direct the police to Sharlinie place with computer internet video / voice chat. The method I can inform in details to the police officer working with me.

Once the missing Child found and I need two more condition to be fulfilled. I need police permit to hold large gathering in Merdeka Square in KL. The gathering is for asking MIC Samy Velu to step down. As a gathering organizer, I can do more discipline manner without any trouble.

I need two lawyers have to be released unconditionally from ISA detention. I will give you the two names later. All the above condition accepted then I would help two other high profile murder cases – Nurin and Presheena.

Finally! I do no want any single / tiny publicity for solving the above-mentioned cases. Police and the policemen working with me alone should take all the publicity credit for solving the cases and not any politician or elected government but I am interested only in money. That’s all.

Looking forward your cooperation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ambrose Sabastian

STOP IT!

2008-02-23T11:22:00.001+08:00

By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

THE sale of the book on Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, Di Mana Sharlinie? has incensed the missing five-year-old girl’s father.

Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain, who learnt about the book after reading The Malay Mail yesterday, was particularly angry with one of the book’s chapters suggesting that Sharlinie would suffer the same fate as Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.

Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak, was reported missing on Aug 20, and her ravaged body was found in a sports bag near a fl ight of stairs at a three-storey building in Petaling Jaya Utama on Sept 17.

“How could the publisher be so insensitive? What is his motive?” asked Mohd Nashar, at his house in Taman Medan yesterday.

He said he saw no other motive behind the book other than the publisher wanting to make a quick buck from the family’s misery.

“We believe our daughter is still alive and that she will come back to us one day. How could the publisher suggest that Sharlinie will suffer the same fate as Nurin?” he said.

Mohd Nashar was referring to the chapter, Adakah Jalan Mati? (Is it a dead end?), with a picture of a dead end road sign with a red palm-print on it next to Sharlinie’s poster and a picture of Jazimin Abdul Jalil during Nurin Jazlin’s burial.

He said no one had approached him for permission to publish any book on his daughter and added that whoever was behind the book should stop distributing it.

He said the only request he received was from individuals and companies to use his daughter’s picture for some campaigns.

“The publisher should empathise with us instead of taking advantage of us,” he said, adding that the book has further aggravated their pain.

“We miss her so much as it is and the book is not helping us either,” he said.

Mohd Nashar said he was shocked when told by his brother-in-law yesterday about The Malay Mail’s front-page report.

He said he would discuss with his family on whether they would take legal action against the publisher.

The 40-page book, written in Bahasa Malaysia, is a compilation of news reports on Sharlinie’s disappearance and is being sold at RM2.50 a copy.

The Malay Mail’s attempt to fi nd the publisher, listed as Penerbitan Karang Media, proved futile as no address or contact numbers were listed, and the only information available was a PO Box number and the name of the printing company on the back cover.

Sharlinie, who turned fi ve on Jan 30, was abducted in Taman Medan on Jan 9, while on her way home together with her sister.

A search was mounted and Interpol was notifi ed.

Two men were arrested by police but were later released due to lack of evidence.

It was reported that three days before Sharlinie’s abduction, a six-year-old girl was abducted by a man wearing a black helmet and riding a black motorcycle.

She was, however, found unharmed in Wangsa Maju two hours later.

The description of her abductor was reported to be similar to that of the Kampung Baru molester, dubbed the ‘Catman’.

- The Malay Mail

Dua fotofit baru kesan penculik

2008-02-20T21:53:00.001+08:00

PETALING JAYA 19 Feb. - Polis kini berpandukan dua fotofit baru bagi meningkatkan lagi gerakan untuk mengesan Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, yang hilang lebih daripada sebulan lalu.

Sebelum ini polis pernah mengeluarkan fotofit gambar lelaki ketika kanak-kanak itu hilang pada 9 Januari.

Bagaimanapun Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed tidak menyatakan sama ada fotofit terbaru itu lelaki atau perempuan.

"Bagaimanapun, fotofit tersebut tidak akan dihebahkan seperti yang terdahulu bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan orang ramai.

"Ini kerana fotofit yang akan dikeluarkan ini tidak sama dengan fotofit terdahulu," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

Sharlinie hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya, setelah bermain di taman permainan di Taman Medan, dekat sini pada pagi 9 Januari lalu.

Sementara itu, Arjunaidi menegaskan polis tidak menutup kes penculikan tersebut walaupun kekurangan anggota kerana kempen pilihan raya umum tidak lama lagi.

Sebaliknya, beliau berkata, kekurangan itu ditampung dengan mendapat kerjasama daripada agensi kerajaan yang lain.

"Misalnya operasi di rumah kongsi pekerja asing di Kota Damansara awal pagi ini kita mendapat bantuan 20 pegawai dan 34 anggota Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)," jelas beliau.

Operasi itu, katanya, dilakukan setelah polis menerima maklumat kanak-kanak malang itu mungkin berada di situ.

Mengenai seorang lelaki berusia 50-an dikatakan boleh mencari Sharlinie menggunakan teknik matematik, Arjunaidi berkata, maklumat tersebut gagal membantu polis dalam memburu penjenayah terlibat.

Menurutnya, maklumat berdasarkan kiraan nombor dan angka itu tidak dapat dikaitkan dengan kes kehilangan kanak-kanak itu.

- Utusan Malaysia

Serbuan cari Sharlinie di flat gagal

2008-02-19T18:40:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 18 Feb. - Polis yang menerima maklumat dalam kes Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, hari ini menyerbu sebuah rumah di Flat Sri Sabah, Cheras di sini.

Namun, operasi disertai 20 pegawai dan anggota pasukan khas itu gagal menemui sebarang petunjuk mengenai Sharlinie.

Operasi tersebut dibuat berdasarkan maklumat daripada seorang lelaki berusia 50-an memberitahu bahawa kanak-kanak malang itu disembunyikan di situ.

Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed berkata, polis menerima laporan tersebut petang ini daripada seorang lelaki yang mendakwa dirinya berstatus profesor madya bidang matematik.

"Polis tidak menolak semua maklumat yang diterima daripada mana-mana pihak kerana ia penting dalam usaha mencari Sharlinie.

"Bagaimanapun, semua maklumat yang diterima akan ditapis sebelum tindakan lanjut dilakukan," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Semalam, seorang lelaki yang mendakwa mempunyai kepandaian menilik termasuk mencari orang hilang melalui nombor dilaporkan menawarkan diri mengesan Sharlinie.

Lelaki berusia 50-an itu dikatakan mempunyai kepakaran ala drama bersiri Inggeris Numbers yang kononnya boleh mencari kanak-kanak itu dengan kiraan nombor atau angka.

Utusan Malaysia hari ini pula melaporkan rayuan kedua ibu bapa Sharlinie, Suraya Ahmad, 28, dan Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, yang berharap usaha mengesan anak perempuan mereka itu terus diberi perhatian oleh semua pihak.

Menurut Mohd. Nashar, sekiranya pihak berkenaan tidak lagi menganggap kes kehilangan Sharlinie sebagai keutamaan, maka harapan mereka berjumpa semula Sharlinie tentunya menjadi tipis.

- Utusan Malaysia

Criminal Victims' Rights Under the Malaysian Legal System : "Is The Existing Law Adequate?"

2008-02-18T23:58:00.008+08:00

I was at UKM yesterday for practically the whole day participating in a one day Seminar that focusses on Victims' Rights, organised by the Law Students Society of UKM's Law Faculty that goes by the acronym "Perundang".

It was attended by about 100 or so law students from not only UKM but those from UM, UIAM as well as from Help University College. Among speakers presenting their respective papers were a legal practitioner, En. Mohd Najid Husain from Mohd Najid & Partners; a Criminalogy Lecturer from UiTM, Prof. Madya Datuk Abdul Halim Sidek; a representative from the Women's Aid Organisation, Pn. Nazlina; the Executive Director of All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Ms. Honey Tan and yours truly, Jasni Abdul Jalil, Nurin's Uncle. Yes, I was there as Nurin's Uncle and my task was to relay the experience of the victim's family in regards to the application of their rights since the abduction of their child till now.

As mentioned in my earlier post, I presented a brief paper that cited the various examples where the rights of Nurin's parents were either breached, invaded or ignored.

While most of the examples cited in the presentation are still yet to be addressed, the part on initial action (or inaction) in launching a search and rescue operations has already got a solution in the form of what that has been proposed and aggressively being promoted, the Nurin Alert mechanism.

Our promotional activities on Nurin Alert is still at the beginning stage and not at the tail-end as eventhough the authorities have shown a very receptive response to the Nurin Alert initiative and had in fact implemented the various proposals in the search and rescue for poor Sharlinie, we in C4NA are determined to see that Nurin Alert is indeed incorporated into the Child Protection Policy and eventually turned into a law in order to ensure an effective and efficient execution of a serach and rescue operations for missing children.

If you have had noticed, there is this logo posted on top right of this blogsite (beneath the picture of Nurin's tombstone). This is the official logo that has been adopted by Citizens for Nurin Alert Society (C4NA) as the logo for Nurin Alert. Designed by Ampuan Yussof, a fellow Malaysian based in the USA and improvised by Intan Shafinaz of UiTM, the colour scheme is actually yellow - amber - red, but for some awkward reason it is appearing on this blogsite as the BN blue!

Perhaps it's trying to gain the BN's support to turn it into reality, but I'm trying to do something about it before everyone else starts thinking that the BN blue is indeed its actual colour.

While on the subject of C4NA, you might want to know that we are in the process of getting the entity registered as a Society to as to ensure the sustainance of the Nurin Alert movement so as to facilitate the grouping in executing projects requiring public and private funding.

I should be able to publicise the names of the Protem Committee Members very soon once we finalised the list or once it got it registered.

Till then, have a Good Night and productive day ahead.

Jasni AJ

Protecting the victims' Legal Rights

2008-02-14T22:30:00.003+08:00

I guess from now till the Election Day, we would be seeing more of Pak Lah's posters than Sharlinie's, hear more over radio & tv of the great deeds and promises of the BN and the "empty barreled" BA than news of Sharlinie's, and talk more about politics than concerns over our children's safety in the wake of Nurin's, Preeshena's and Sharlinie's mind boggling stories.

Well, this is only natural as the GE only come once every 4 or 5 years while child kidnaping/abuse/murder are now becoming much more frequent. One after the other making it as if part of the Malaysia's everyday stories.

Nurin's stories are now almost history, nothing much is happening. The murderer remained unidentified and the autopsy distributor, though identified, remained scot free.

While Malaysians in general will temporarily be focussing on matters pertaining to the future of the country by deciding whom they want to choose to form the government, there will be a group of Malaysians who will still be talking about the sad stories of the tragic cases.

This weekend, at the UKM Bangi Campus, the students of the University's Law Faculty would be organising a "People & Law" Seminar that would be focussing on the Rights of Victims.

I'm invited to deliver a talk, a short talk that is, on our experience on how the law and rights of the vitim was applied in Nurin's tragedy. Of course, I would have lots of things to say and I hope that I would be able to deliver them eloquently so that the public would understand the trauma, sufferings, shame, shock etc. etc. inflicted onto the family of the victim of which by the way would also be the victim itself.

I hope that with the dialog session with the law undergraduates and professors that follows, we (the family) would also be able to learn a thing or two on the rights of the family to correct any wrongs.

Talking about the wrongs in Nurin's case, there are at least 5 wrongs (that I could think of) that surely need to be corrected. They are :- 1. Initial inaction; 2. Speculative Statements and Press Reportings; 3. Leakage of DNA Results where parents being the last to know about it; 4. Distribution of Autopsy Pictures and 5. Commercial Dramatisation with slanderous messages.

All these matters are currently in the hands of our attorney. But since the Lingam's Royal Inquiry is taking precedence, ours will come in later. But don't get us wrong, all these wrongs are not our real priority, our priority is to get the murderer so that justice could be given to Nurin and most importantly, so that other children could be safer with the monster taken off our streets.

But the wrongs must still be highlighted so that no other victim would be experiencing the same wrongful treatment that Nurin's parents had to endure. Nurin Alert is a product to correct a wrong. Hopefully more other products could be introduced to safeguard the victim in relation to the other wrongs as mentioned earlier on.

Good Night & Happy Voting

Jasni AJ

Solving crime with science

2008-02-11T17:11:00.000+08:00

By HARIATI AZIZAN

The proposed DNA Identification Act will enable the police to establish a DNA databank that can help solve crime investigations. But how will it help fight crime?

"DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need consent" Hithaya Jeevan

DURING investigations on the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in 1999, Police hauled up a total of 22 suspects.

For each suspect, forensic scientists had to conduct individual tests to match the person’s DNA with the different DNA samples found at the crime scene manually. Then it took more than a week to analyse a DNA sample and a few more days to compare the analysed DNA data with the information in police files.

“The whole process was time consuming,” deputy director general (policy) of the Chemistry Department, N. Hithaya Jeevan, said, recalling his most unforgettable case.

“If we had had a DNA database then, it would have really helped speed up the investigation,” he added.

Think of what has become the standard scene on TV and in the movies: one test and a mere click is all that is needed to search for a match on the computer.

“With a national DNA databank, the profiles of criminals and suspects can be recorded. Special software can compare the DNA found at the crime scene, or the DNA stains, with the data in the computer system. If there is a link, police can bring the suspect in and investigate further,” Hithaya Jeevan continued.

Alas, after all the testing, none of the DNA of the 22 suspects matched any of the crime stains. With no other leads, the case remains unsolved.

And it is one among many still unsolved today.

According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Maximus Ongkili, in January last year, our police's solving rate was 50%, compared to the Interpol’s solving rate of 22%.

Having a national DNA databank will improve the police’s solving rate further, noted Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow: “A DNA databank will help police use forensic science to solve crime. As DNA data is conclusive, it will also help strengthen the case in court.”

This is something his ministry is hoping to kick off with the proposed DNA Identification Bill.

According to Fu, the final draft has been submitted to the Attorney-General's office where it is being finalised. It is hoped to be tabled in Parliament at its next sitting.

Scientific clue

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the chemical blueprint for a person’s biological make-up and is different from person to person. Only twins might share the same DNA. Used for identification, it is 99% accurate.

According to the Locard Exchange Principle theory, it is almost impossible to commit a crime without leaving behind some DNA stains such as blood, saliva, vomit, bone and tissue. Hence, forensic scientists use these DNA stains to identify a perpetrator. The process is called genetic fingerprinting or DNA profiling.

Currently, the Chemistry Department has compiled a database of crime stains from unsolved cases. However, there is no law to enforce suspects or convicted criminals to give their DNA to the police, what more to allow the authorities to keep their DNA data.

“DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen given by the suspect or convict. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need their consent,” Hithaya Jeevan explained.

According to experts, repeat offenders commit 30% to 40% of crimes and there are many who migrate from minor crimes to more major crimes, he continued.

“However, each time there is a crime, we get new DNA stains from the scene and don't have anything to compare them with.”

Fu agreed that the possibility of solving past unsolved crimes would be higher with a national DNA database, especially if the criminal was a repeat offender.

This has proven successful in countries with national DNA databanks, he added, such as the landmark case in the United Kingdom, where a burglar raped an 11-year-old and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old in 1988. Semen was found at the scene but police could not identify the assailant. However, the case was solved 13 years later when a 59-year-old man was arrested for shoplifting in another town. When his DNA profile was run through the UK's DNA databank, it was found to match the DNA stains from the scene of the earlier crime. The shoplifter admitted to the crime and was charged.

Citing the Nurin Jazlin Jazimin sexual assault and murder case, DNA analyst at the Forensic Laboratory, Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) ACP Mohd Abdul Aziz said it would also allow the police to link a new case to other cases for leads.

“It would help in police investigation to see if it was committed by a serial criminal.

“Otherwise, it would be left to police's hunches and manual investigation by digging up old or other files.

“For example, with a National DNA database we could have made a more concrete link between the Nurin case and the Kampung Baru molester,” he said.

DNA tracking is now compulsory for all violent crimes. However, even with a DNA match, further police investigation is needed before the suspect can be convicted, Hithaya Jeevan highlighted.

“After the suspect is taken in, you will first need to repeat the test – take the sample again and analyse the data. The DNA database is only a tool for investigation. It does not establish innocence or guilt.”

ACP Mohd concurred.

“DNA evidence can only prove who was there at the crime scene. Other corroborative evidence is needed to implicate the suspect of the crime,” he said.

A problem may arise, he highlighted, if no DNA stains are found at the crime scene.

For cases like car theft or snatch theft where the likelihood of evidence being left at the crime scene is low, DNA cannot be used to solve them.

“We look for shoeprints and things dropped but most of the time the evidence is driven away. Currently, car theft and snatch theft are the highest number of crimes committed and the lowest number to be solved,” he added.

Outwitting the police

Another growing problem he highlighted is how criminals are learning to outwit the police with technology. They are learning things from TV and films, he said, adding that it is becoming common for criminals to leave behind DNA of other people such as used cigarette butts or hair follicles to mislead the police.

They are also becoming more sophisticated in covering their tracks, he said, citing burning of victims such as in the high-profile Canny Ong case or the blowing up of the victim, such as the Altantuya murder case.

“What they don’t realise is that the forensic lab now has the technology and equipment to handle contaminated samples like this,” said Hithaya Jeevan.

For example, if the body is totally burnt, making it difficult to obtain skin, hair or blood samples, the marrow from the femur bone can be taken for analysis. If the teeth are still intact, they will be compared with the victim's dental records.

Analysis can be done even with microscopic samples, said ACP Mohd.

He added the police work hard to stay one step ahead of criminals.

“There is a lot of information circulating about DNA and new technology but we also do a lot of research at the lab to detect criminal trends and developments,” he said.

While having a national DNA database will not guarantee a lower crime rate, he said, it might deter repeat offenders, as well as first-time offenders, from committing a crime.

But Fu stressed that to effectively fight crime, everyone needs to get involved.

We all need to work together to raise public awareness and prevent crime. It is everyone’s responsibility, he reminded.

- The Star

Groups decry inaction on violence

2008-02-09T16:26:00.000+08:00

By : Ili Liyana Mokhtar and Evangeline Majawat

KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Huda Ghani. Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. Preeshena Varshiny. These girls made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Abducted, brutally raped and murdered, their cases catapulted a flurry of campaigns from various quarters in a bid to create a more secure and safer environment for children.

There was a campaign to equip children with whistles. Certain quarters called for an alert they dubbed the Nurin alert, modelled on an American system called the Amber alert.

There were suggestions for single-session schools, introduction of safety as a subject in schools, establishment of a public registry for sex offenders and placing CCTVs in public areas.

Yet, it was clear that not enough had been done as incidences of violence against children are still occurring. Five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar has been missing since Jan 9, after being snatched while on her way home from a playground near her home in Taman Medan.

Protect and Save The Children director Madeleine Yong admitted it was easy to come up with suggestions.

"It is typical to get a knee-jerk reaction, judging from the trend in the past 10 years. It's a lot of talk but no action.

"Campaigns are only good if there is a sound strategy or immediate implementation. Without which, a campaign is just an idea."

She also feels that some of the ideas and suggestions given are by people who were not familiar with the issue. Therefore, the suggestions do not address the core of the problem.

In order for these problems to be dealt with effectively, Yong strongly advocates an overall systematic change from the top down.

"This issue will only be addressed effectively when the government creates a sound strategy or improves on current flawed strategies."

All Women's Action Society (AWAM) president Judith Loh Koh concurs with Yong. She said drastic change must be made by all sectors of society to stop violence and to create safer spaces for children. The implementation process of ideas and suggestions must be speeded up and followed through.

"At present, our reaction to safety issues is ad hoc, where we only take action whenever a particular threat or problem arises."

Former Social Welfare Department assistant director Vijayakumari Pillai feels that there is a need to understand that violence happens everywhere.

"It has implications for everyone. Everyone is involved.

"Since 1991 the Child Protection Act has a provision which states that it is an offence to leave a child without adult supervision, and that the parents or guardian can be charged in court."

National Council of Women's Organisation Malaysia deputy president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy said everyone was guilty of not making a concerted effort to follow through the suggestions post-Nurin.

"It's time for us to take responsibility to tackle this issue urgently."

- New Straits Times

Forward with Nurin Alert

2008-02-04T22:49:00.000+08:00

After being given an extensive coverage by Tell Magazine last December, followed by a fair share of coverages by almost all the nation's mainstream print media, Nurin Alert had again caught the attention of another News Magazine, Forward, which is touted to be "Malaysia's Leading News Magazine".

Though its coverpage did not give the slightest hint of its coverage on Nurin Alert, articles on Nurin Alert plus updates on the Nurin's, Preeshena's and Sharinie's cases actually took 7 solid pages of the magazine's February edition that had hit the newstands a couple of days ago.
On Nurin Alert, an article titling "Nurin Alert - Stop another Nurin tragedy" invited readers to understand the significance of the proposed Nurin Alert, how the idea came through, its proposed modus operandi, the implementation of its sisters' mechanisms in the US and in Korea, the roles played by bloggers in pushing and implementing the idea through, the whatever little achivements of the CFNA as well as its future planning.

There is also a little write-up on Amber Alert, just to give the readers an idea on the origins of the mechanism that had inspired Nurin Alert.

On the Nurin tragedy itself, an article "A nation won't forget Nurin and other lost little girls" had not only revisited the tragedy but had also made references to the current search for missing Sharlinie.

Retailing at only RM5.00 in Malaysia and being distributed to other parts of the world as well, this latest reading material is yet another must get document for those interested to learn more about Nurin Alert as well as for those who want to get themselves abreast with the latest twists and turns of the Nurin tragedy.

Other interesting articles that you can find in the magazine includes stories on Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah, Migrant workers, Hindraf and a lot more on the upcoming General Elections, Sami Yusof the entertainer etc.

Get a copy of Forward today and enjoy reading.

Jasni AJ

Family holds ‘doa selamat’

2008-01-31T15:57:00.000+08:00

By NABILLAH ABDUL TALIB

THE home of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar was filled with relatives, neighbours and well-wishers who attended the kenduri doa selamat yesterday.

The ceremony after Isyak prayers saw the guests reciting the Yaasin and other prayers.

Also present was Batang Kali State assemblyman Datuk Zainal Abidin Sakom. Amidst the sombre mood, numerous theories were bandied about her disappearance.

A neighbour, who only wished to be known as Che Ani, believed that black magic could be involved.

“Just look at the case of Nurin Jazlin. Until today, police still can’t find the identity of the man carrying the bag in the CCTV footage. I believe the man who kidnapped Nurin is the same culprit who has Sharlinie now.

“He’s practising some sort of black magic and that’s why Sharlinie can’t be found.”

Another neighbour, Saiton Bidin, 53, said that before the child was reported missing, the girl always came to her house to buy ice-cream.

“Sharlinie and her sister always came over to buy ice-cream. But on the day she went missing, she didn’t show up at all. I miss her. She is just a little child, she doesn’t know anything.

“It’s hard to believe that she has been gone for 22 days,” she said.

- The Malay Mail

Kes Sharlinie: Lapor kepada polis jika jiran berpindah mengejut

2008-01-30T19:31:00.000+08:00

30/01/2008 5:16pm

PETALING JAYA 30 Jan. – Lapor kepada polis jika jiran anda berkelakuan mencurigakan atau berpindah dengan tergesa-gesa ketika pihak berkuasa menjalankan pemeriksaan dari rumah ke rumah dalam gerakan mencari Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar.

Itu pesanan Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar yang mengharapkan keprihatinan dan kerjasama orang ramai dalam membantu polis mencari kanak-kanak perempuan berusia lima tahun itu yang hilang sejak tiga minggu lepas.

Beliau berkata, masyarakat perlu mengambil tahu perkembangan jiran masing-masing dan saling mengenalinya.

“Saya mohon masyarakat melaporkan sekiranya ada jiran yang berpindah secara tiba-tiba dalam tempoh dua minggu kebelakangan ini supaya kami boleh menyiasat sama ada ia ada kaitan dengan kes kehilangan Sharlinie,” katanya kepada pemberita di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya hari ini.

– Bernama

Bomoh proved wrong

2008-01-29T13:46:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Yesterday was the day a group of bomoh had "divined" that Sharlinie Mohd Nashar would be reunited with her family. The day came and went without any sign of the missing 5-year-old.

What is worse is that police still have no clue as to her whereabouts. They have no photofit of the suspect, nor do they even know how she disappeared three weeks ago.

This is because their only witness, Sharlinie's elder sister Sharliena, is unable to give an accurate account of what happened that day nor can she give a proper description of the perpetrator.

Still, police are trying their best to locate the girl, with daily search operations not merely in the district, but in surrounding areas and the rest of the Klang Valley and neighbouring states.

Even border checkpoints have been on high alert for the past three weeks for anyone even remotely resembling Sharlinie, as her kidnapper could have somehow altered her looks so that no one would recognise her, especially with posters of her having been put up all over the country.

Police had not pinned their hopes on the bomoh's predictions.

"They are only voicing out their opinions which will be investigated by the police," said district police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed.

Until today, however, not a single bomoh has come forward to help police in their search.

Arjunaidi said the search plan changed from day to day depending on information received from the public.

Most of these bits of information included suspected sightings of Sharlinie. All were checked out and all have been proven untrue.

- New Straits Times

The Dialogue Box : Keep pranks tasteful, please

2008-01-28T19:18:00.000+08:00

By Ayu Musa Kamal, Senior writer

I LOVE working with The Malay Mail — not just the paper but its staff — my co-workers, or more appro priately my friends, who al ways manage to turn a hec tic and stressful day into a fun day.

The jovial atmosphere, I was told by my seniors, has always been The Malay Mail culture and was what kept most of us going despite the rough times.

When I first joined the pa per, I was not prepared for the challenges ahead but I blen ded in and enjoyed every minute of it.

The office is filled with jokers and pranksters.

These jokes and pranks are normally harmless and keep all of us going, especially when we’re faced with deadlines and strict editors demanding stor ies.

The lively mood has always managed to lighten things.

Despite some of the jokes being slightly brash for some who are not used to such an environment, The Malay Mail residents have grown accustomed to this and it takes less than a month for a newbie to make a comeback after being teased relentlessly by their seniors.

It’s good to know that those who have joined The Malay Mail, men and women alike, have always been good sports and always know the differ ence between a good joke and a bad one.

A good joker knows when to stop and knows the difference between what’s funny and what’s not.

I’m glad though that nobody at our office is as heartless and irresponsible as those who have been sending false text messages and making prank calls to the parents of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, who has been missing for almost three weeks.

Perhaps to these individuals, it cracks them up to give the parents the run around.

Maybe it is funny to them that her parents are trying so hard to find their little girl, hoping that the public would lend a hand instead of be coming a target to be picked on when they are already down.

Maybe it would be funny to them if their own child or loved one goes missing.

Surely, it wouldn’t be funny if something like this happens to them. There’s nothing hilarious about losing a child and you don’t need to be a parent to figure that out.

On Jan 15, a 16-year-old student was arrested and is out on bail for sending prank text messages to Sharlinie’s parents, while the next day, a 27-year-old maid was arrested for giving false information.

More recently, rumours have been circulating stating that Sharlinie was found in Ulu Yam, Selangor, and that a DNA sample had been sent for testing.

In response to these ru mours, Petaling Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed pleaded to the public to stop such acts which are not just affecting Sharlinie’s family’s feelings but also disturbing police in vestigation.

Regardless of how the in formation is circulated, it is a waste of time for the police to be hunting down culprits who are giving out false inform ation.

A similar case that comes to mind is the case of Nurin Jazlin, where pictures of her post-mortem were widely circulated over the Internet.
I received the e-mail and it upset me terribly.

It does not take a genius to figure out what can be forwarded and what should not.

In this case, if you think you can help, contact the po lice and tell them what you know instead of sending false information and forwarding something you are unsure of.

To all those irresponsible pranksters, please think of something more original the next time you’re thinking of pulling a prank.

It’s never funny when you’re making fun of other people’s misery.

- The Malay Mail

Stray Thoughts : It’s my daughter!

2008-01-27T11:39:00.001+08:00

By A. ASOHAN

ANOTHER month, another missing child, and suddenly we’re all fired up again.

But this will probably wind down and we’ll go about our own business. Until the next missing child, that is.

Just before eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin’s battered body was found stuffed into a sports bag last September, when she was merely another missing child, The Star ran a story pointing out that she was just one among 17 children under the age of nine on the police’s list of missing persons who had vanished between January and July last year.

More children continued to disappear, the most recent being five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

So now the Nurin Alert emergency response plan is fast becoming a reality. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has proposed a technical committee to come up with a Child Protection policy.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation has recommended a “Child Watch” comprising government officials and representatives from non-govermental organisations that would work closely with law enforcement agencies to keep a closer watch on the safety of children.

But as an Interpol (www.interpol.int/) paper on missing children has noted, there is no specific law in Malaysia that governs the reporting and handling of cases of missing children. Malaysian police make inquiries on missing persons under Sections 3and 20 of the Police Act.

I think it’s past time for us to look at missing children as a national issue that requires a complete revamp and rethink of policy, people and processes, with a lot of emphasis on prevention. And I can probably make a good, reasoned argument for it too.

But to hell with reasoned arguments, because this time it’s personal.

It’s my daughter, you s.o.b.!

On a recent Sunday, my nine-year-old daughter received, on her handphone, an SMS which addressed her by name, and in a texting version of Bahasa Malaysia, asked her what she was doing, adding “abang rindu mu, bls yah,” or “I miss you, please reply.”

The kids were with their mother at the time, so she called up the number and asked the man who answered, who he was and why he was sending SMSes to our child.

It’s my daughter, you s.o.b.!

The man spoke in Malay, saying that it was probably just “the kids playing around.” Sure, could be. So my ex-wife asked, “What’s your name and what are your kids’ names? Do they go to school with my daughter?”

He hung up.

It’s my daughter, you s.o.b.!

She rang me and I immediately swung over, picked up the phone, told the kids to stay with their mother, and remembering stories of how child predators “groom” their prey by trying to engage them in conversation first, went to the nearest police station to lodge a report.

It’s my daughter, you s.o.b.!

I’m one of those lucky Malaysians, going by the number of complaints we receive in the press, who has had only good experiences with our men in blue. The ones I’ve met when lodging reports or being issued tickets have always been professional and polite.

A young corporal took down the details and helpfully wrote down the report for me. Then he asked, politely, what my purpose was in lodging this report.

The next morning, a sergeant contacted me and asked me to come over to the police station. He asked me for more information, briefed me on what they had done so far and what they were going to do next.

But he too, almost apologetically, asked me the purpose of my lodging this report.

With all the girl-children being abducted, you have to ask?

I want you to be as concerned as I am. I know you handle hundreds of cases a day, but I don’t care. When parents fear for their children, I want you to be just as concerned as they are.

Anyway, I told him, just as politely, that I wanted them to find out who this man was, how he got my daughter’s phone number, how he knew her name, and what his intention was in sending her that SMS message.

“And,” I added, no longer so polite, “I want you to warn him not to come anywhere near my children!”

What I really wanted to say was, I want you to find this s.o.b. and take him out of the gene pool.

I’m a single father of two very engaging girls. I don’t have to be reasonable. I don’t care about due process and the right of the individual and people being innocent until found guilty. Not when it comes to my little girls.

Find this s.o.b., and even if he was just trying to be funny and had no designs on my daughter, take him out of the gene pool for being stupid enough to try something like this.

Believe me, you’d be doing the human race a favour.

A. Asohan would have used an even stronger term than “s.o.b.”, but recognises this is a family paper after all. When he’s not worrying about his two daughters, he’s Editor, New Media, at The Star.

- Sunday Star

Yusof Haslam Apologises

2008-01-26T19:05:00.000+08:00

Harian Metro today published a report on Yusof Haslam apologising to any parties who felt offended with the two "Gerak Khas" episodes aired over RTM2 on 11th and 18th January 2008.

The two episodes carrying a storyline closely resembling the Nurin Jazlin tragedy was deemed to be have been produced in bad taste and had suggested among others, the character of the victim's father as being in heavy debts including those with an Along and the state of denial of the father for refusing to accept the DNA results of the body of a child that was found at a construction site.

The public knows that those facts were exactly what was reported to be the case with Jazimin initially. We took pains to clarify and provide an alternative version on the matter and alhamdullilah such incorrect impressions were sort of accepted.

What the family is so upset about is that all those efforts became useless as the initial impressions were re-emphasised in the drama slots making the public, especially those who are not accessible to internet to believe what they have read before.

Therefore, we view the airing of the drama as most damaging to the family's reputation as it is an act of character assasination and hence need to be corrected appropriately.

We also feel that the culture of slandering should not be allowed to flourish in the country. While it is gallant for Yusof Haslam to make that public apology, we also feel that the apology fell short of admitting his mistake as he maintained that the drama slots were in no way connected to the Nurin Jazlin tragedy albeit its overwhelming similarities in the storyline.

We are currently discussing with our attorney on the best course of action on not only the drama but on the slanderous press reporting that had made reference to the "imaginative" Along connection.

Of course, the distribution of the autopsy pictures is also very much in our mind. The fact of the matter is that we are actually getting very tired of waiting for the charge to be made on the culprit who had distributed the pictures. As the saying goes, "justice delayed is justice denied".

With the progress of finding Nurin's murderer is not producing the desired results so far, all these other secondary and unnecessary matters does not help in easing the pain endured by the family.

For those who missed the Harian Metro report, please read the full report as reproduced below :-

EKORAN pertikaian mengenai episod Gerak Khas di RTM2, dua minggu lalu yang dikatakan ada persamaan dengan kes mangsa pembunuhan ngeri, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 9, syarikat penerbitan drama bersiri kepolisan itu, Skop Productions Sdn Bhd (Skop) memohon maaf.

Penerbitnya, Datuk Yusof Haslam, berkata beliau mewakili dirinya, pengarah dan penulis skrip drama itu menyusun 10 jari memohon kemaafan kalau sekiranya ada pihak yang terasa selepas menonton siri itu.

Katanya, tiada sebarang niat untuk mempersenda mana-mana pihak dengan memaparkan kisah yang dikatakan ada persamaan dengan kes pembunuhan ngeri Nurin Jazlin yang mendapat perhatian seluruh rakyat Malaysia tidak lama dulu.

“Saya memang tiada niat perkecilkan mana-mana pihak. Ia cerita rekaan untuk memberi pengajaran pada masyarakat dalam menangani jenayah. Malah sebagai iktibar dan mendidik mereka untuk berhati-hati dengan keadaan sekeliling.

“Sekarang ini jenayah boleh berlaku di mana saja dan masyarakat perlu prihatin. Inilah mesej yang ingin disampaikan dalam Gerak Khas. Namun persamaan cerita kadang kala tidak dapat dielak.

“Justeru, atas insiden tidak disengajakan ini, saya memohon maaf jika ada yang tersinggung. Saya juga akan lebih peka dan berhati-hati pada masa akan datang,” k a t a nya ketika ditemui di pejabatnya di Setapak, semalam.

Yusof sudah menerbitkan drama kepolisan sejak 23 tahun lalu. Malah bagi siri Gerak Khas, lebih 400 episod dihasilkan dalam tempoh hampir sembilan tahun disiarkan di Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).

“Memang tidak dinafikan ada antara isu diketengahkan isu baru.

Malah sebelum ini juga saya pernah memaparkan isu Black Metal dalam Gerak Khas.

“Apapun, saya tetap memohon maaf. Sebagai hamba Allah yang serba kurang dan tidak dapat lari daripada melakukan kesilapan, saya minta m a a f ,” t e ga s nya .

Sementara itu bapa Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin, Jazimin Abdul Jalil berkata, apa yang disiarkan dalam Gerak Khas itu mempunyai persamaan dengan kisah menimpa keluarganya.

“Ia memang cerita saya dan anak saya. Justeru, bagaimana pula boleh dikatakan cerita rekaan sedangkan ia kisah keluarga saya.

“Terus-terang, saya marah dan terkilan dengan penayangan drama itu.

Malah kebanyakan orang yang ditemui juga mengatakan ia cerita kami,” k a t a nya .

Jazimin berkata, perkara itu tidak sepatutnya berlaku kerana kes berkenaan belum selesai. Katanya, penjenayah terbabit pun masih bebas.

Harian Metro Khamis lalu melaporkan mengenai pertikaian terhadap drama Gerak Khas kerana menayangkan kisah Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin.

Lebih-lebih lagi apabila objek seperti timun, terung termasuk kes ceti haram (along) turut dipaparkan.

Meanwhile, yesterday was a busy day for me.

The Citizens for Nurin Alert Committee had their meeting yesterday reviewing all the progresses made so far as well as on all those still outstanding. Hopefully, the public would be hearing more positive and progressive news on the Nurin Alert movement within the next couple of weeks.

Later in the evening, I was at the Toh Puan Rahah Hall at Menara Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur for the live telecast of another RTM production, Fitrah Kasih over RTM1.

Jazimin and Yin's father were among the guests at yesterday's show and this time around, both fathers were given a better treatment (vis-a-vis the Gerak Khas Drama) where they were given the opportunity to express their respective feelings on what they faced.

Hopefully the public could understand what they had to go through and stop making unwarranted judgements on the two poor fathers.

Lastly, let's continue to pray for Nini's safe return. The wait is simply too torturous on the parents. And don't forget, please also take good care of your own children, never never let them become the next victim.

Jasni AJ

Nini's Straight Face

2008-01-24T13:55:00.000+08:00

It has 15 days now since Nini went missing. While the Police has been conducting search and rescue operations on a rather massive mode, no good news has been forthcoming.

It has also been 15 days now that we have been seeing Nini's "official" photo with her head tilting and no fault of the press or the authorities, it seems that tilted photo is the only recent picture of Nini that the family has.

A fellow blogger has "rectified" the photo and what you're seeing now on this page is how Nini would look like with her head straight.

According to his blog, he will also be coming up with probable images of Nini taking into account of the possibility of her changing features as anticipated by the Police as reported here.

In the Nurin Alert paper submitted to the authorities last year, one of the recommendation is for parents to have a clear and recent photograph (together with basic details of their child like height, weight, skin colour etc) so that it would become handy when lodging a police report if at all the child goes missing.

I guess it would be in the interest of all parents to note and to act on this small but practical recommendation.

Jasni AJ

Dangers prey on sweet innocence

2008-01-23T15:09:00.000+08:00

By : Zainul Arifin

The search for 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar now involves not only the police, but also efforts of although caring Malaysians, including posters on the back of vehicles

MY 6-year-old daughter, Zuleika, is worried about the bad men who could break into our house to get her. It began when Nurin Jazlin Jazimin went missing and was later found murdered; it is now back in earnest with the disappearance of 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

She is also concerned that the guards who are supposed to patrol the neighbourhood may not be as diligent as they should be, or that bad men could eventually evade the security guards who would need to go to the bathroom at some point.

If I were to be home in the late evening and she was awake, she would ask a series of questions before letting me into the house.

"What is your number?" That would be my mobile telephone number that she now knows by heart. "What is your name?" would be the follow-up question.

I asked her why was she asking me those questions and she said, if there were a bad man who looked like me and pretended to be me, he would be found out rather easily since he would not be able to answer the questions correctly.

This rather cute sensibility, and I am not saying that just because she is my daughter, is nevertheless a manifestation of the influence of our not-so-innocent times on a child's logic.

But it is also an illustration on the manner of a 6-year-old's thought process. Hence we should not be too surprised if they were lured away by bad men and women.

It is thus our primary responsibility to educate them of the dangers that could befall them.

Zuleika's worries, which sometimes border on paranoia -- at night she glances often at the window near the stairs' landing -- is a result of my wife and I telling her often to be extra careful, especially with strangers. We told her of missing young girls who have yet to be found, lured by toys, sweets and promises of kittens.

She saw the images of Sharlinie in the newspapers, on TV, at the back of a lorry and on walls and pillars. She asked who the girl was and why her pictures were plastered everywhere.

We told her that if someone came to her school and said her parents were involved in an accident, do not follow him or her, unless they were her uncles or aunts. Go to her teacher instead was my instruction.

When stories of missing children became a common feature in the newspapers, we decided not to hide from her details of the dangers that are lurking out there.

My wife and I told her of bad men and women who would take away children and do nasty things to them. We exaggerated a little, of course, but we believed we were entitled to do so.

It is of course important to be vigilant, and all parents would have stories of near misses and fortunate turn of events.

We know that luck, or divine intervention for those so inclined, have thus far made it possible for many of us to have our children unscathed and unharmed despite misadventures in the kitchen, bathroom, park and the mall, when a simple twist of fate would have brought about unthinkable horror.

Thus, as much as some of us would be quick to judge the unfortunate guardians, we should all remember that safety is a kind of a "best effort compromise".

We must resist the temptation to judge, and instead work towards something positive.

The citizen-initiated Nurin (Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network) to alert the media and public in the event of missing kids is one such example.

I believe as much as we are vigilant as we can be, we are but a step away from making headlines, since bad luck can likely descend on some even as it lets the rest to fortunately escape.

- New Straits Times

The Batu Caves Story

2008-01-22T22:42:00.000+08:00

So tomorrow is Thaipusam. Happy Thaipusam to all Hindu visitors here at this blog. And for the very first time, KLites and Putrajayans can be with their brethrens in Selangor and several other states taking the day's off.

Talking about Thaipusam, Batu Caves would certainly be the focal point for its celebration in the Central region. And talking about Batu Caves, I have my own story to tell about it.

Not really a story about Batu Caves, but rather a story that has Batu Caves in it.

Well, here the story goes.

How many of you have climbed the stairs of Batu Caves? I for one have never done that and I'm pretty sure not many of you have done that either.

But out of love to his child, Jazimin had on one night before last Ramadan climbed the 272 stairs of Batu Caves in the middle of the night.

No, he's not there to fulfill a vow or anything like that but simply in responding to a call he received saying that his then missing child was there!

We were at his home that night when he got that call. He asked me to follow him along but I refused and told him that the call was probably a prank just like a number of other prank calls he had been receiving before.

But I guess he just could not take any chances, he was just desperate to find his little sweet child, so off he went to Batu Caves (with someone else) climbing all the 272 stairs all the way to the top.

But it was a prank call indeed. The child was not there, no one was there except for the guards guarding the place. I guess the caller must be jumping up and down in joy seeing this desperate father looking for his child high and low without knowing the meaning of the word "tired".

How cruel man can be. And the same specie is having fun with Nini's father now, giving him with all the false information on Nini.

That's why when the Indonesian lady was caught, Jazimin's first reaction was "Serves her right!" as he had endured the pain of being fallen victim to all these prankters.

Prank calls were abundant. Besides the call tipping Jazimin that his child was at Batu Caves, there were also other calls tipping some other locations like at some unused mine (lombong terbiar) etc etc.

Therefore, lets make it a standing procedure not to publish the personal number(s) of the victim's parents from now on any longer. Let the Toll Free No. or the Police's 999 do the job. The "monkeys" would be extra careful when dealing with the police, I think.

In the meantime, let's pray for Nini's safe return.

Jasni AJ

No new leads on Nurin

2008-01-22T13:51:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Four months after the brutal rape and murder of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, police are no closer to catching the perpetrator of the crime.

The last two people -- a security guard and a drug addict -- picked up for questioning earlier this month, have been released.

The two were arrested because they resembled the photofit released by the police of the man believed to have abducted Nurin and four other girls.

Police said there were no links between the security guard as well as the drug addict and Nurin.

Nurin was abducted on Aug 20, last year. She went missing at a night market near her home in Section 1, Wangsa Maju.

- New Straits Times

Pranksters not welcomed

2008-01-21T23:10:00.000+08:00

Dear Editor, READING reports about unscrupulous individuals feeding police with false inform ation on the kidnapping of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar makes me sick.

How is it some people find pleasure in such acts?

Are they not aware of the trauma they are causing the family and that police will be wasting valuable time chasing false leads?

I’m glad police have arrested such people. It’s about time we came down hard on them.

Every time there’s a kidnap ping or murder which makes the news, we have some strange people who find pleasure in putting obstacles in the path of the police.

What’s worse is when such people contact the distraught family members to make de mands, threaten them or scold them for being bad parents.

The parents of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin faced the same problem as did the parents of Mohd Nazrin Shamsul or Yin, who went missing at a department store.

We need people who keep their eyes and ears alert to any sign of the missing children. Instead, we have pranksters and those who are downright malicious.

It saddens me that there are such people in Malaysia. Aren’t we supposed to be a caring society?

If only we could put ourselves in the shoes of the parents who have lost a child, we would never do such mind less acts.

Every time a kidnapping occurs, society has to play a role, not just in ensuring that the child is found and returned to his or her family, but in making sure that such events do not take place.

Rita Kandiah
Petaling Jaya

- The Malay Mail

Cari rumah ke rumah -- Ketua Polis Negara gerakkan strategi baru kesan Sharlinie

2008-01-21T13:10:00.000+08:00

Oleh RAMLI ABDUL KARIM dan ZULKIFLI MANZOR

KUALA LUMPUR 20 Jan. – Selepas lebih 10 hari Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, hilang dipercayai diculik, polis menggerakkan strategi baru untuk mengesan kanak-kanak itu dengan melancarkan operasi mencarinya dari rumah ke rumah di seluruh negara.

Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan telah mengarahkan semua ketua polis daerah (KPD) melaksanakan gerakan itu serta-merta.

Bercakap kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini, beliau memberitahu, strategi tersebut telah mula dilaksanakan oleh semua KPD di sekitar Lembah Klang sejak beberapa hari lalu.

“Bagi KPD di luar Lembah Klang termasuk Sabah dan Sarawak, arahan telah diberikan supaya mereka menjalankan operasi sama di kawasan masing-masing secepat mungkin,” katanya.

Musa menambah, operasi mencari itu juga akan meliputi semua kawasan yang disyaki menjadi tempat Sharlinie disimpan atau lokasi persembunyian penjenayah.

“Dalam hal ini, kalau kami dapat sebarang maklumat daripada orang awam, walaupun belum dipastikan kesahihannya, kami akan gerakkan operasi mencari besar-besaran dari rumah ke rumah di lokasi yang dinyatakan.

“Selain itu, semua KPD juga perlu melancarkan operasi di lokasi-lokasi yang berpotensi memberi petunjuk seperti di kawasan-kawasan setinggan dan rumah tinggal,” ujar beliau.

Musa yakin arahan itu dapat dilaksanakan di seluruh negara tanpa sebarang masalah.

Sharlinie yang akan genap berusia enam tahun pada 30 Januari ini hilang dipercayai diculik pada kira-kira pukul 11.30 pagi 9 Januari lalu. Ketika itu kanak-kanak berkenaan dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya, Sharliena, 8, dari taman permainan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari rumah mereka di Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

Ekoran itu, polis melancarkan gerakan mencari kanak-kanak malang tersebut berdasarkan petunjuk-petunjuk termasuk kaitan kehilangannya dengan satu kes culik lain di taman yang sama sehari sebelumnya melibatkan kanak-kanak berusia enam tahun, Nur Fatiha Zaidi.

Berjuta-juta poster Sharlinie termasuk yang dicetak akhbar Utusan Malaysia diedarkan di seluruh negara dan ditampal di pintu-pintu masuk di sempadan dan lapangan terbang.

Pelbagai pihak mengambil inisiatif mengedarkan poster-poster Sharlinie. Ada bank menampal gambar Sharlinie pada mesin pengeluaran automatik (ATM) bagi membolehkan para pelanggan bank itu membantu mencari kanak-kanak berkenaan.

Kes kehilangan Sharlinie turut mendapat perhatian Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang merayu penculik kanak-kanak itu supaya memulangkannya kepada keluarga secepat mungkin.

Atas arahan Musa sendiri, pihak polis menubuhkan sebuah pasukan khas sehari selepas kehilangan Sharlinie melibatkan pasukan dari Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman dan Polis Kontinjen Selangor.

Sehingga hari ini, polis Petaling Jaya sahaja telah melakukan pemeriksaan ke atas 10,000 rumah di daerah itu bagi mencari Sharlinie namun belum ada petunjuk yang dapat menemukan pihak berkuasa dengan kanak-kanak itu.

Penyelesaian kes Sharlinie diharapkan turut dapat menyelesaikan beberapa kes lain yang belum diselesaikan oleh polis termasuk penculikan empat kanak-kanak di Kampung Baru di sini pada tahun lalu dan juga kes culik dan bunuh Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.

Kes-kes itu dikaitkan dengan lelaki dipanggil ‘Abang Kucing’ yang menggunakan modus operandi memujuk mangsa-mangsa membantunya mencari kucing atau burung yang hilang.

Diperketatkan

Dalam pada itu, Musa memberitahu, beliau juga telah mengarahkan supaya kawalan di sempadan diperketatkan bagi menghalang cubaan melarikan Sharlinie ke luar negara dan menyekat penjenayah yang menculiknya daripada lolos.

Pada masa yang sama, katanya, beliau sendiri telah menghubungi polis Thailand dan Singapura memaklumkan kehilangan Sharlinie dan meminta kerjasama pasukan keselamatan negara-negara jiran itu membantu mengesan kanak- kanak itu.

“Saya juga puas hati dengan penglibatan banyak pihak dalam kes Sharlinie. Ia usaha yang baik dan kalau ada maklumat betul sila lapor kepada polis... pastikan ia bukan maklumat palsu,” katanya.

Mengenai pandangan sinikal sesetengah pihak dan masyarakat terhadap kredibiliti polis dalam menangani kes Sharlinie berikutan kegagalan pasukan polis menyelesaikan jenayah culik lain termasuk kes Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin, Musa berharap orang ramai terus menaruh kepercayaan kepada polis.

Katanya: “Polis harap orang ramai bantu salurkan maklumat sahih kepada polis. Selagi maklumat tidak ada, susah untuk kita menyelesaikan kes ini dan juga kes lain kerana tiada siapa nampak kejadian culik itu berlaku.

“Setakat ini banyak maklumat yang diberi tidak betul. Jika kita ada maklumat yang telus seperti nombor kenderaan yang digunakan atau maklumat mengenai suspek, sudah pasti ia memudahkan siasatan.”

Sementara itu, beliau berharap keluarga Sharlinie banyak bersabar dan berdoa kepada Allah supaya diberi petunjuk di mana kanak-kanak itu sekarang atau semoga hati penculiknya dilembutkan untuk memulangkan semula Sharlinie.

“Saya sendiri rasa geram selagi tidak dapat tahan penjenayah itu.

“Sharlinie bukan saja anak kepada ibu bapanya tetapi dia sudah seperti anak saya sendiri. Begitu jugalah perasaan pegawai-pegawai polis lain yang terlibat mencarinya,’’ kata Musa.

- Utusan Malaysia

Spotlight: NURIN (Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network) to protect our children

2008-01-20T14:28:00.000+08:00

By : TAN CHOE CHOE and AUDREY VIJAINDREN

The NURIN Alert system for missing children has yet to be implemented but authorities say the efforts undertaken to find Sharlinie over the last few weeks demonstrate how the early alert system would work, write TAN CHOE CHOE and AUDREY VIJAINDREN.

OVER 120 days have passed since the brutal murder of little Nurin Jazlin Jazimin but the early alert system for missing children mooted in the aftermath of the tragedy is yet to be implemented.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry thinks implementation of the alert system is just a matter of formality; that the system is in place and working.

“Actually, I can see the alert system in place, judging by the nationwide efforts to find Sharlinie.

“The response is faster because everyone has learnt the (cost of) delay (in Nur in’s case). Even though there’s no official endorsement of the NURIN Alert yet, I could see the difference — the police acted faster and the NGOs, the public and the media also quickly offered to help,” says its minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Ministry parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun says the efforts put into the search of 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar in the last few weeks had demonstrated how the early alert system would be like.

Sharlinie went missing on Jan 9 while walking in front of her elder sister, who was on bicycle. The duo were on their way home after spending time at a playground near their home in Petaling Jaya.

They had just turned into a deserted lane near their house when Sharlinie disappeared and the elder sister, Sharliena, only realised her sister was missing when she looked up from her bicycle.

“Once the alert’s fully implemented, it (the emergency response) will be even better and more comprehensive,” says Chew.

The early alert system is named after Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, who was found dead on Oct 25 last year after she was abducted in August. Her body was found stuffed into a sports bag a month later.

NURIN stands for “Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network ” and it was first proposed by her uncle, Jasni Abdul Jalil, who drafted a proposal with some friends and submitted it to Shahrizat’s ministry late last year. (See Footnote). It was modelled after the United States’ AMBER alert — an emergency response system that galvanises the authority and the community via a comprehensive network to locate missing children.

After receiving the proposal, there have been many rounds of meetings with non-governmental organisations, government agencies and media representatives to get their take.

“It’s part of our administrative procedure before we present something formally to the cabinet. We’ve decided to park the alert system under the Child Protection Policy as one of its components — it’ll be the last module because we’re first looking at more preventive measures,” says Shahrizat.

Once finalised, the alert system would involve several key ministries like Internal Security, Information, Education as well as her own ministry, just to name a few, says Shahrizat.

“Now we’re circulating the policy with the NURIN Alert addition to all the ministries for final inputs.”

The policy will be focusing on making public places safe for children — be it open spaces, at schools or even in the home of the child.

It will also look at the training of officers to be entrusted in implementing the policy.

Sharizat was hoping to have the policy finalised by December but had to postpone it as more and more people wanted to give their views.

But human rights body Suhakam thinks the alert should have been implemented immediately after the Nurin tragedy.

“It’s too slow. I think we tend to react to difficult situations by getting all excited and coming up with beautiful suggestions but after that, there’s no follow-up and things die down,” says Commissioner Dr Chiam Heng Keng.

“It’s like after they found the body, all the excitement died down and they’re not doing anything any more, as if there’s no need to react any more - end of story.”

Chiam believes that if the NURIN Alert had been in place at the time of Sharlinie’s disappearance, the probability of recovering the child would have been much higher.

“Although it’s no guarantee that Sharlinie would be found immediately, the chances would have been much higher.

“We can’t wait for another child to be abducted before they (the authorities) take concrete action.”

Dr Farah Nini Dusuki of the Malaysian Association for the Protection of Children said three or four months were hardly enough time for the government to put such a sophisticated system like the NURIN Alert in place.

“But then again, we are not expecting a perfect system here,” she says.

“I am sure people would be happy just to hear that serious efforts are underway to protect our children.

“When it comes to the issue of child safety, I don’t think any of us can afford to wait any longer.”

- New Sunday Times

Note :

Credits to the Nurin Alert initiatives should be as follows :-

Farina (of USA) - for first to suggest Malaysia to adopt USA's Amber Alert in Nuraina's Blog
Nuraina Samad - for blogging about Amber Alert and together with Tell Magazine arranged a Roundatable Meeting with Datuk Shahrizat to talk about the proposed Nurin Alert.
Tembam - for aggressively promoting Amber Alert to all other bloggers including me
Rockybru - for giving a new name for the proposed Malaysian Amber Alert as Nurin Alert
Kamal Efendi - for giving meaning to the acronym N.U.R.I.N in Nurin Alert and for agreing to head CFNA
Jasni - for grouping the bloggers for Amber/Nurin Alert and to publicly publicise Nurin Alert in the mainstream press
Members of CFNA - for putting up a formal proposal to the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development

Case Solved : Gerak Khas

2008-01-18T22:15:00.000+08:00

It's the work of his closest friend. The victim's father doesn't know as the culprit has a split personality, normal when in public but a sex maniac when left alone.

Not only he kidnaps little girls from the Pasar Malam but he sodomise little boys too.

The victim is a lovely girl, staying in a flat at Setapak. The father operates a Nasi Lemak stall and are heavily in debts, with Ah Long included.

One fine day, his daughter went missing after visiting the Pasar Malam. Searches were made everywhere but without avail.

Then a gunny sack with a body of a girl was found near a construction site. The body was said to the missing girl "Natasha".

The parents were asked to identify the body but despite DNA results, the father denied that the dead body was his child.

The Police then made several theories on why the father refuses to accept that the body was of his daughter's. He must be hiding something, exclaimed one of the Police officer.

After much coaxing and after the mother had a dream at 3.00 a.m., the father relented and agreed to claim the body for burial.

At the cemetery, a reporter asked whether he was convinced that the girl they just buried was his. He told the reporter that he was just doing everyone a favour by burying the child as everyone thinks that the child was his. As far as he's concerned, his child was still missing and expects the Police to continue with the searching operations.

Back tracking a bit, the post-mortem results showed that the child was dead due to infections resulting from injuries at her private parts. It was discovered that the child was sexually abused using foreign objects, and the foreign objects were cucumber and brinjal.

Fast forward, the Police came to know that the Ah Long (whom the father was heavily in debt with) issued a threat to the child's father saying that he would be facing the same consequence as his daughter's if he failed to pay up his dues.

The Ah Long was hauled in and questioned but they (the Police) could not find any evidence that could relate the Ah Long with the abduction cum murder of "Natasha". He was then released.

In the meantime, "Natasha's" abductor cum murderer went prowling again. The public became panicky!

Then a video clip was discovered showing someone carrying a gunny sack at the place where the child's body was found.

The Police reviewed the video clip and detected a van captured in the video clip.

The van (with its registration number clearly visible) was traced to - guess who -the child's father!

Immediately the father became the suspect and brought for questioning. He denied any involvement but when shown a picture with his van captured, he told the police that besides him, his close friend also uses his van from time to time.

The police showed a photofit, and he immediately recognised the photofit to be his close friend.

The Police and the father straight away ambushed the friends house - only to discover that he has several pictures of naked "Natasha" and other kids together with the drees Natasha last worn.

Case solved .

After reading the above story, whose story would you relate it to?

Nobody would have to think real hard but to recognise it to be a story which resembles the Nurin (and Jazimin) story!

And that's tonight's episode of Gerak Khas aired over RTM2 at 9.00 p.m. today!

Just what is Yusof Haslam and RTM trying to do here? Adding more speculation, the "no-no" that the Police had been advising the public from doing!

The only thing missing from tonight's episode is the distribution of "Natasha's" autopsy pictures. Maybe it's next week's episode, and I wonder whose the culprit this time.

Though the ending part does not incriminate the parents, but the parents were pictured as heavily in debt and at a certain stage, was in a state of denial. And this suggestion would have a great impact to the parents of Nurin Jazlin. (As if they haven't had enough!)

What should we do then? Let them make money and more money on the sufferings of other people and the same time taint the reputation of the victim's family?

I think both Yusof Haslam and RTM is just inviting suits to come their way. While we have not proceeded with any legal action on the slandering news reports and the distribution of autopsy pictures, this latest straw is making my blood boiling urging us to see our lawyer on the best action to take on all the now "three" matters. Are we wrong? Let us know!

Jasni AJ

It's Back to Square One

2008-01-17T19:21:00.000+08:00

Well, what can I say. It's just like playing "Snake & Ladder", one minute you're in square 70, then suddenly after getting swallowed by the giant snake, you're back to square 1.

After having had our hopes dashed in the earlier two episodes, first the 4 Malay chaps, then the famous Sim-card swallowing Indonesian lady, you might have noticed that we didn't get too excited when the Police hauled, remanded and eventually released the latest two "suspects" in relation to the Nurin's abduction cum murder case.

Though we might not be too excited about it publicly but deep inside, I (at least) had this small hope that perhaps, this time around would be a different story, the breakthrough and the end to the painful months of waiting. I thought that this time around, maybe someone had accidentally talked about something that he knew about the case, or even the culprit itself unrealisingly boasted his top rated skills that had made our police force groping in the dark for months, or maybe, the police had been targeting these two guys for months and thought that they had collected enough evidence to nab the culprit and whatever evidences they had were strong and solid enough that could successfully nail the culprit in court. I was also pretty sure that the Police won't let anyone to continue belittling them with the "catch, release, catch, release" melodrama that had become the talk of the town.

But (sigh), the renewed hope was dashed yet again when the suspects were eventually released as the Police were satisfied that the "suspects" were not involved in the case at all. I wonder what kind of information that reached the Police that had led them to believe that they were suspects in the first place.

But I'm no Police and I don't really know how they work but based on the few conversations I had with several policemen at various levels from the No.2 to don't know what number, I am given the impression that until the Nurin's case is resolved, until then their minds would be unsettled as just like anyone else, it is in their greater interest to nab this "super elusive" culprit that had dented their image as an effective force in solving crimes, no matter how "complicated".

And now, when the chase for Nurin's perpetrator is still being "aimlessly" conducted (I hope not!), come along the Nini's abduction case. Oh what a timing?

Just who could Nurin's abductor/murderer be? Is Nini his latest victim? Just who is this "Catman"? Too many questions have remained a mystery. And the mystery is a mystery that no one can live with!

Oh God, please guide us, please protect us, please please please. Show us the light, allow us to live with a peaceful mind. Help us rid all the devilish characters among us in the community. In You we trust, O my dear God. Amin

Jasni AJ

Pre-Nurin Alert for Nini, the real Nurin Alert hopefully Coming Soon

2008-01-16T22:15:00.000+08:00

First, the immediate public notification of "Missing Sharlinie" made by the PJ Police.

Then, an immediate Press Conference by Datuk Shahrizat activating a Nationwide Alert for "Missing Sharlinie".

Next, Radio & TV broadcast interrupted their programmes announcing the news on "Missing Sharlinie" and continued with regular updating on news on "Missing Sharlinie" round the clock.

The next day, all press media prominently published news and information, plus online posters at their respective publications and websites.

Posters on Missing Sharlinie printed and distributed by various organisations hit every corner of the country.

Then CELCOM transmits MMS and SMS to all its subscribers informing them of "Missing Sharlinie" and the number to call if they have any information.

RHB Bank flashes picture of Sharlinie at their ATM Machines comes next.

And now, a dedicated Toll Free No. 1-800-88-LINI launched by the police to receive information from the public on "Missing Sharlinie".

Wow, it's a dream come true for the Nurin Alert advocators to see all these happening.

Thank you all for making this Pre-Nurin Alert possible and this shows that Nurin Alert is indeed workable.

All that need to do next is to formalise the Nurin Alert mechanism so that every quarter would have an exact role to play once a Nurin Alert is triggered.

All of the above actions taken so far would not be on the discretion of someone but rather a standard operating procedure.

When Nurin Alert is in place, ALL telco companies would be carrying the Nurin Alert message, not only Celcom.

When Nurin Alert is in place, ALL police officers from wherever their posts are - no matter how remote, would exactly know what to do with a report of a missing child, not only those proactive policemen like the ones at PJ.

When Nurin Alert is in place, all TV stations will air Nurin Alert messages without the need of the parent of the missing child to approach them.

When Nurin Alert is in place, all newspapers will carry the Nurin Alert messages prominently and not at the back pages.

When Nurin Alert is in place, there will ONE TOLL FREE No. for the public to relay information on any missing child.

When Nurin Alert is in place, billboards along the highway will flash Nurin Alert messages.

When Nurin Alert is in place, Nurin Alert will be triggered without the need to wait for a caring and influential Minister like Datuk Shahrizat.

My next wish is for 1-800-88-LINI will always be there for future missing children so that parents of missing children would no longer need to publish their own personal numbers that has proven time and time again of being a favourite number for pranksters to have their "sick" fun.

I can clearly see now that the real Nurin Alert is just about to be born. When it is born, everyone will then be very comfortable with it as all of us have been introduced to the pre-Nurin Alert triggered by Datuk Shahrizat for finding Nini.

Thank you Datuk Shahrizat, Thank you ACP Arjunaidi. The country needs more people like you around.

Viva Nurin Alert, Viva Innocent Children of Malaysia.

The Pre-Nurin Alert will only be complete with the finding of Nini. Please let it be soon. Let Nurin Alert be formalised with Nini's success story preambling it.

Jasni AJ

Despite Abduction Cases, Parents Still Lax On Children's Safety

2008-01-16T22:06:00.000+08:00

By Normawati Muhamad Nor

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Despite the wide media publicity on the spate of child abduction-molestation cases of late, many parents still seem to take their children's safety for granted as observed at the city's shopping complexes.

Checks by Bernama at some hypermarkets and a departmental store showed that some parents allowed their children to run about in the premises while they were busy choosing the merchandise or talking on their mobile phones.

"It's not easy to watch over them...being children, they naturally like to run about," said a mother whose six-year-old child was playing away from her in a hypermarket.

When reminded of the well-publicised case of Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali, 5, better known as Yin, who went missing from the Sogo departmental store here on March 31, last year, the woman who declined to be identified admitted that such cases could be due to parents' negligence.

Another shopper, Norbaiyah Mohamad, 33, said parents should be conscious about their children's safety at all times, especially outside the home, as an untoward incident could happen within a split second.

"It's better to leave them at home under the care of family members than to bring them to the hypermarket and allow them to run about. When something bad happens to them, we will be blamed," said Norbaiyah who held tight her child's hand while doing her shopping.

Jamilah Ahmad, 54, said many people did not realise the danger of bringing their children, especially the hyperactive ones, to the hypermarkets or supermarkets.

"Such children are difficult to control, so parents take the easy way out by letting them loose."

She said parents should learn some lessons from the child abduction cases including the latest involving five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, and the brutal sexual assault-murder case of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, last September.

"I hope Sharlinie's case will be the last as a result of parents not being aware of their children's movements at the time.

"It's better that we change by being more responsible and cautious from now on, because we never know when an evil person will strike," added the retiree.

Meanwhile, Jusco Wangsa Maju branch Customer Services supervisor, Maziani Mat Sidi, said cases of missing children at the departmental store always happened on weekends, public holidays and festive seasons as it would be packed with shoppers.

"The children would cry after being separated from their parents who would come and get them, usually within 30 minutes, after hearing our public announcements," she said.

--BERNAMA

Telcos should get involved in Nurin Alert

2008-01-16T17:23:00.000+08:00

Wednesday January 16, 2008

WE are now looking at the introduction of an alert system known as Nurin (Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network) Alert to combat kidnapping and assist in locating missing children.

I would like to suggest telcos get more actively involved in this system by sending out images of kidnap victims or even photofits of perpetrators via MMS. If all the telcos are part of the system, the alert will go out to potentially 20 million Malaysians; which may also include the perpetrators and their cohorts.

There are several advantages to using mobile phones, as they are now so personal that no one leaves home without it. Furthermore, it doesn’t cost telcos much, and it definitely is cheaper than printing posters.

The other obvious advantage is speed, as we all are aware that the faster we act, the better the chances of recovery.

It would be a refreshing change for subscribers to receive something of value from their telcos instead of the messages they are sending out now!

HENRY,
Kuala Lumpur.

- The Star

SERVES HER RIGHT

2008-01-16T13:17:00.000+08:00

By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

THIS was Jazimin Abdul Jalil’s reaction to the arrest of an Indonesian maid in Johor Baru early yesterday.

The 27-year-old woman had been sending text messages to Sharlinie’s parents, saying the girl was abducted out of revenge.

She also said Sharlinie wouldbe released in a few days.

“This is not funny. These are human lives we are talking about and crank calls and SMSes only add to the misery of Sharlinie’s family.”

Jazimin was a target of pranksters when his daughter, Nurin Jazlin, went missing for nearly a month before her body was found stuffed in a sports bag in Petaling Jaya last year.

“I know the agony and ordeal of Sharlinie’s parents. Why send them on a wild goose chase with information like where she was.

“If you spot the girl, act or call the police. Why bother sending such SMSes to the parents when the girl could have been taken far away by then,” said Jazimin.

TIRED of running around on a wild goose chase, police showed they meant business when they arrested an Indonesian maid at her employer’s house in Johor Baru at midnight yesterday.

The 27-year-old woman had been sending text messages to missing girl Sharlinie Mohd Nashar’s parents, saying the girl was abducted out of revenge.

She also said Nini (Sharlinie’s nickname) would be released in a few days.

Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Mazlan Mansor, who announced the arrest yesterday, said the woman was playing around but the real motive has yet to be known.

The woman has been remanded for three days until tomorrow at Petaling Jaya police station.

The prank calls have hampered investigations as many hours and manpower are spent on checking information received from the public.

This upset Mazlan who vowed to get tough with the pranksters. He said he would not hesitate to charge them in court.

Mazlan declined to reveal details of pranksters who have would be rounded up soon.

Pranksters can be charged under Section 193 of the Penal Code for giving false information.

On the missing girl, Mazlan said: “The task force, comprising officers from Bukit Aman and the Selangor contingent, are working hard to find Sharlinie with support from other divisions and contingents.”

Asked if the two security guards, who were nabbed recently, are connected with Sharlinie’s abduction, he said: “We are still investigating. Give us time as we do not want to jump to conclusions.”

Sharlinie’s family has received many prank calls and text messages.

Sharlinie’s uncle, Shahrizal Satirin, 34, speaking on behalf of the visibly tired parents, said there were also messages that wrongfully accused the children’s parents of borrowing money from people.

“The father earns enough to feed the family and they have never borrowed money from anyone. They also never had any quarrel with anyone,” he said.

“I have advised the parents to ignore the calls and SMSes or they might just become crazy.”

Shahrizal said among the pranksters were schoolchildren.

“They have nothing better to do. But we are suffering here. Nini, who is suffering from asthma, is still missing and there are people who taunt us daily,” he said.

Nini was reportedly abducted about 11.30am on Wednesday, while walking home with her sister, Sharliena, eight, from a nearby playground in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya.

The case is being investigated under Section 363 of the Penal Code for abduction, which carries a sentence of up to seven years’ jail upon conviction.

- The Malay Mail

Finding Sharlinie is most important

2008-01-15T19:06:00.000+08:00

By LOONG MENG YEE

LAST year in September, we were determined never to forget Nurin Jazlin Jazimin as we laid the battered and murdered child to rest.

We vowed to keep our children safe and never let another suffer the horrible nightmare Nurin went through.

But just 100 days on, the nation is again reliving the anguish of looking for another abducted child.

This time, we are praying, searching and hoping for the safe return of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, the five-year-old who went missing about 200m near her house in Taman Medan last week.

Be strong: Jazimin (right) giving words of encouragement to Mohd Nashar at the latter’s house in Taman Medan last Friday.

One father knows exactly how wrenching the waiting can be. Nurin’s dad, Jazimin Abdul Jalil, has been a pillar of support to Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain. Jazimin has made at least two trips to Mohd Nashar’s double-storey link house in Taman Medan.

The first time last Friday, he spent nearly four hours huddled with Mohd Nashar, his wife and other relatives in the kitchen, offering words of encouragement and, more importantly, advising the worried parents on ways to deal with the painful situation.

“Pray, pray hard. God will give you the strength. Keep strong, don’t crumble under pressure and ignore the vicious talk, focus on the effort to find Sharlinie,” Jazimin told the family.

The part about ignoring vicious words was particularly personal to Jazimin. He and the wife faced all sorts of unkind allegations while the search for Nurin went on.

Some people actually called and verbally abused them, accusing them of being unfit parents for letting their child roam unattended. (The fact is: it was the first time Nurin had ever gone to the night market alone. The mother had assumed Nurin was with her sister.)

Some media also dug into Jazimin’s past, alleging he owed money to Ah Longs, when in reality, he had taken a legitimate loan of a few thousand ringgit to settle an accident involving his taxi. He had fully repaid the loan.

When the press met up with Jazimin at Mohd Nashar’s home, he was obviously wary of reporters. He only relented and agreed to speak to the press after much persuasion.

Even then, he kept reminding the media to be fair to Mohd Nashar, not print unfounded allegations or keep harping on the fact that Sharlinie’s parents had been negligent.

Jazimin had a point when he said “the focus should be on finding Sharlinie”.

“All other angles can be pursued once she is found. If the media keep insisting the parents were negligent, or print untrue allegations, kind-hearted Samaritans might be put off from helping,” he said.

Mohd Nashar seemed to have taken Jazimin’s advice. Right after Jazimin left his house at about 4pm on Friday, Mohd Nashar held an impromptu press conference denying his other daughter’s account of a woman with shoulder-length hair luring Sharlinie away.

“This is a matter of life and death for Sharlinie. I urge the media not to publish misleading facts about my daughter,” said Mohd Nashar, adding his police report never mentioned such a woman.

Just as Jazimin was trying to rise above the pain of losing his daughter, his elder brother, Jasni, was working tirelessly since the death of his niece to set up a national response system to help look for abducted children.

Working with a group of concerned citizens, Jasni was determined to implement Nurin Alert, an emergency response system galvanising the authorities, the press, the community and the nation to help save abducted children.

The system is modelled after the successful Amber Alert in America. Amber is the acronym for “America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency System”. Amber Alert was set up in memory of Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996.

“Some mechanism in the Nurin Alert has been acted upon. For instance, it was three days before the media publicised Nurin’s disappearance.

“In Sharlinie’s case, she was mentioned on television the day she went missing. Newspapers swung into action the very next day.

“Speed is crucial because it has been proven that the first 48 hours are the most critical in getting back abducted children,” he said.

Jasni said Nurin Alert advocators were also pleased with the swift and serious action taken by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil in appealing to the mass media to flash and print news about Sharlinie as often as possible.

Jasni and other Nurin Alert members have blogged about Sharlinie and put up the photofit of the alleged abductor in their respective blogs as well.

He has also set up a blog in memory of Nurin. It is nurinjazlin. blogspot.com. It has since become an information centre in cyberspace dedicated to find abducted children.

“It is comforting to know we have learnt from our past mistakes. Action by the authorities, the community, the media and other concerned parties has been swift,” said Jasni.

Hopefully, it is swift enough to help save Sharlinie.

- The Star

An evening at Taman Sri Medan

2008-01-14T22:21:00.000+08:00

In my earlier posting in December last year entitled "Of hypnotic and mystical help", I relayed the family's experience in engaging the various practitioners as alternative tracking methods of the then missing Nurin. I summarised the article by giving credit to 2 practitioners whom I thought as had able to provide a more accurate reading.

So naturally, when Nini went missing, the thought of introducing the two more reliable practitioners crossed the mind. Encouraged by fellow visitors to the blog, I paid a visit to Nini's parents last Saturday enquiring whether they would like to engage the practitioner's assistance in their pursuit of finding Nini.

So there I was at about 5.00 p.m. Saturday. The minute I was there I can't help but reminiscing the chaotic situation at Jazimin's place during the height of the searching operations for Nurin.

There were scores of people there. Reporters and cameramen were everywhere. Policemen and Rela personnels were "almost" in full force - cordoning the area.

Wah, I thought - "this is something else, a real red alert!". But I wondered a while on why were so many Rela and Policemen there, have they found her? But no, she was still missing. Then shouldn't the Rela and Policemen and the scores of people be somewhere else looking for Nini? Then I realise the reality check, the scores of people, the swamp of reporters, the "platoons" of Policemen and Rela personnels were actually there because there were some VVIPs at Nini's grandparents house at that time. So that's the reason for the cordoning, diversion of traffic and the heavy presence of Rela and Policemen! Aargh! I really felt like a fool thinking something big was happening there.

But something big was happening indeed. Our PM's wife and the Selangor MB and his wife were there, at Nini's grandparents house. And judging by the quick disappearance of the scores of people soon after the VIPs left the place, I can safely say most of them (except for the Security forces and the reporters) were actually there to have to sneak "direct" view of the PM's wife. As for the Security forces and reporters, I guess they just had to "cover" the VVIP visit. Soon after the VIPs left the house, the crowd of people, the policemen and Rela personnels also disappeared.

I do hope that at least the Policemen and the Rela personnels went somewhere else to look for Nini after that!

Though most of the crowd left the place soon after the departure of the VIPs, there were still well wishers coming by to render their support and to console the "troubled" parents. There were still reporters there, but of course not as many as earlier in the day.

Until late night, the parents were still receiving visits from various quarters, from Gerakan 4B to members of a Motorcycle Rider Club committing their respective assistance.

Caring neighbours volunteered in the upkeeping of the place. Some provided refreshments, some tidying up the place etc etc.

The spirit of neighbourliness shown to Nini's parents was indeed a reassurance that the Malaysian caring society is very much a reality and not a myth.

I managed to meet Nini's parents and told them about the practitioners. They agreed to see them and so I called the Silat Master over.

I thought I had helped them but I'm not really sure whether I have done the correct thing. It never occurred to me what would be their reaction if the readings are negative. Do they have the strength to accept negative readings?

Jazimin was strong and confident when Nurin went missing, partly because he believed his child was safe. I don't think he would be that strong if someone were to tell him that his child was being cruelly abused during the time we were searching for her!

When Jazimin knew that I brought the Silat Master there, I got a scolding! And come to think about it, I think I really deserved it. Jazimin has a point. He said,"What is the point if all you get are vague clues that you can't do anything much with!". "What if the reading suggests that Nini was in the hands of Nurin's abductor cum murderer?". "You will drive the parents crazy!"

Though I'm not suggesting what the Silat Master actually told the parents, but perhaps we can just ponder on the points Jazimin made. Vague clues will indeed drive a person go nuts. Negative readings is as bad either.

I do try to be positive about it and I hope that both the Silat Master and Dr. Sazali whom I believe is already working with the Police could be able to substantially help in tracking Nini through their special and gifted skills.

From what I understand, the remote sensing methodology practiced by Dr. Sazali is not something that you inherit. It is a skill that can be learned. In fact, such skills are actually taught at his Academy called Akademi Simfoni Minda.

While roaming the area looking at the spot where Nini was abducted, I just can't help noticing at this particular tree. The tree had a poster on Missing Nini. Somehow the poster was torn. And I'm pretty sure that it was not due to wind. I wonder what type of a person can do this. Small kids with itchy hands? If indeed it was done by a small kid with itchy hands, perhaps we have to do more to instill civic mindedness in our young.

Jasni AJ

Cops sparing nothing

2008-01-14T17:31:00.001+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Police will deploy all methods at its disposal to trace Sharlinie Mohd Nashar and her abductor while the reward for information on her whereabouts has increased to over RM20,000.

Petaling Jaya Police Chief ACP Arjunaidi Mohamad said police would use all the methods available including hypnoteraphy and psychology.

"We welcome cooperation from the public to help find Sharlinie.

Whatever the methods, we have to try them," he said.

Hypnotheraphy was used by police when invesitgating the abductions of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, and Mohd Nazrin Shamsul, 5, last year.

Mohd Nazrin or Yin was found safe after missing for two weeks while Nurin Jazlin was found murdered a month after her abduction.

Arjunaidi said police believed Sharlinie was being hidden as members of the public had reported sighting her in several districts.

Police have mounted a massive search for Sharlinie, distributing her posters and photofits of the suspect all over the country, including at the border.

He said police did not rule out the possibility that Sharlinie was abducted by the same suspect responsible for abducting and murdering Nurin Jazlin in September last year.

Nurin Jazlin's father Jazimin Abdul Jalil, 35, claimed that the photofit of the suspect was about 70 per cent similar to the suspect wanted for her daughter's murder.

Meanwhile the rewards keep on pouring, including from GMH Property (RM5,000), MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Michael Chong (RM2,000) and an anonymous businessman (RM5,000).

The rewards offered have increased to more than RM20,000.

- The Daily Express

2 lelaki diberkas -- Pengawal ditahan bantu siasatan kes Nurin dan culik lain

2008-01-14T13:40:00.000+08:00

Oleh Umavathi Ramayah
KUALA LUMPUR 13 Jan. – Dua lelaki termasuk seorang pengawal keselamatan ditahan di ibu negara malam tadi dan pagi ini bagi membantu siasatan polis dalam kes pembunuhan Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin serta beberapa penculikan dan deraan seksual melibatkan sekurang-kurangnya enam kanak-kanak lain.

Penahanan kedua-dua lelaki itu memecah kebuntuan polis dan orang ramai yang menantikan perkembangan terbaru siasatan kes culik kanak-kanak perempuan yang kerap berlaku di Lembah Klang kebelakangan ini.

Kedua-dua lelaki berkenaan termasuk pengawal keselamatan berusia 32 tahun ditahan menerusi ‘Ops Sunti’ untuk menjejaki pembunuh Nurin Jazlin.

Dalam sidang akhbar di Johor Bahru hari ini, Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan ketika diminta mengulas mengenai kaitan penahanan tersebut dengan kes Nurin Jazlin berkata:

“Saya telah dimaklumkan (mengenainya). Siasatan masih lagi dijalankan.”

Nurin Jazlin, 8, hilang pada 20 Ogos lalu di Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur dan mayatnya ditemui 27 hari kemudian di PJS2, Petaling Jaya.

Ketua Siasatan Jenayah Kuala Lumpur, Senior Asisten Komisioner II Ku Chin Wah pula memberitahu, pengawal keselamatan itu ditahan oleh sepasukan anggota dari Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur (IPKKL).

Menurutnya, seorang lagi lelaki ditahan di Chow Kit di sini malam tadi oleh pasukan polis Bukit Aman dan butiran mengenainya belum diperoleh.

“Pengawal itu diberkas selepas polis menerima maklumat daripada orang ramai yang mendakwa wajah lelaki itu mirip fotofit penculik Nurin Jazlin yang disiarkan media sebelum ini.

“Dia ditahan untuk membantu siasatan. Penahanan itu tidak bermakna dia suspek utama kes ini kerana siasatan sedang dijalankan.

Kenyataan rasmi akan dikeluarkan selepas siasatan selesai,” katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia petang ini.

Difahamkan, pengawal keselamatan itu telah berkahwin dan mempunyai tiga orang anak.

Pada pukul 3 petang ini, polis dilihat membawa lima orang kanak-kanak perempuan mangsa culik dari sekitar Lembah Klang ke sebuah bangunan kosong terbiar di Jalan Tun Razak di sini yang terletak bersebelahan Menara Marinara.

Bangunan kosong terbiar itu ialah lokasi sama tempat pengawal keselamatan itu ditahan pada pukul 10 pagi ini.

Para penyiasat cuba mendapatkan pengesahan daripada lima mangsa terbabit sama ada bangunan itu tempat mereka ditahan dan menjadi lokasi persembunyian penculik.

Chin Wah meminta orang ramai terutama media supaya tidak membuat spekulasi dan menyebarkan khabar angin kerana siasatan ke atas lelaki-lelaki itu masih di peringkat awal.

Penahanan kedua-dua lelaki itu sangat signifikan bukan saja kepada siasatan kes Nurin Jazlin malah juga mungkin dapat membantu menyelesaikan kes-kes culik kanak-kanak perempuan lain.

Ini termasuk kehilangan Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, dan Nur Fatiha Zaidi, 6, kedua-duanya dari Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya yang diculik dalam tempoh enam hari lalu.

Sharlinie diculik Rabu lalu dan sehingga lewat malam ini belum ditemui, manakala Nur Fatiha ditinggalkan oleh penculiknya di Wangsa Maju di sini kira-kira tiga jam selepas diculik pada hari Selasa lalu.

Tahun lalu, empat kanak-kanak perempuan dilaporkan menjadi mangsa culik lelaki yang menggunakan modus operandi ‘Abang Kucing’ di Kampung Baru di sini, tetapi mereka dilepaskan penculik selepas didera secara seksual.

Polis tidak menolak kemungkinan penculik adalah orang yang sama berdasarkan keterangan saksi-saksi dan juga modus operandi penjenayah itu yang berpura-pura mencari kucing untuk memujuk kanak-kanak mengikutnya.

Dalam perkembangan terbaru, kira-kira dua jam selepas ditahan dan disoal siasat di IPKKL hari ini, pengawal keselamatan berkenaan dibawa semula ke bangunan kosong di Jalan Tun Razak untuk tujuan pemeriksaan oleh Unit Forensik Polis Bukit Aman.

Lelaki terbabit kemudian dilihat dibawa keluar dari bangunan kosong itu dengan menaiki sebuah kereta Proton Waja kelabu oleh sepasukan polis IPKKL kira-kira pukul 1.30 petang ini.

Lelaki itu dikatakan bekerja sebagai pengawal keselamatan di bangunan tersebut sejak setahun lalu.

Dia dilihat memakai kemeja-T berwarna hitam dengan tangannya digari ke belakang manakala mukanya ditutup dengan kain.

Setelah berada di situ selama satu jam setengah, polis membawa keluar lelaki tersebut dari bangunan itu.

Wartawan Utusan Malaysia yang turut berada di lokasi itu kemudian menyaksikan lima kanak-kanak perempuan mangsa culik dibawa masuk ke dalam bangunan kosong yang sama.

Selepas kira-kira 10 minit membuat pengecaman, mereka keluar dari bangunan tersebut sebelum di bawa oleh polis dipercayai ke IPKKL untuk diambil keterangan lanjut.

Tinjauan mendapati kawasan di sekitar bangunan yang terletak kira-kira 200 meter dari ibu pejabat Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) itu dipenuhi semak-samun.

Terdapat sebuah pondok pengawal di pintu masuk bangunan. Sepucuk senapang mainan plastik dilihat berada dalam pondok itu.

Utusan Malaysia difahamkan, pengawal yang ditahan itu mempunyai sebuah motosikal jenis Modenas Kriss berwarna hitam.

Sebelum ini, polis memperoleh rakaman kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) yang mengandungi imej seorang lelaki bermotosikal Modenas Kriss yang meninggalkan beg berisi mayat Nurin Jazlin di sebuah pusat perniagaan di PJS2, Petaling Jaya pada 17 September lalu.

Bagaimanapun, sehingga kini polis tidak dapat mengesan dan memberkas lelaki di dalam rakaman CCTV itu.

Nombor pendaftaran motosikal Modenas Kriss tersebut juga tidak dapat dikesan walaupun kualiti imej rakaman itu telah ditingkatkan menerusi bantuan Biro Siasatan Persekutuan (FBI) Amerika Syarikat.

Pada Ogos tahun lalu, polis menahan enam orang termasuk dua wanita dalam beberapa serbuan di Shah Alam dan Seremban bagi membantu siasatan kes Nurin Jazlin.

Bagaimanapun, kesemuanya dibebaskan selepas polis mengambil keterangan mereka.

Sementara itu, bapa Nurin Jazlin, Jazimin Abd. Jalil memberitahu, beliau teringin berjumpa lelaki yang ditahan berhubung kes pembunuhan anaknya itu.

“Saya nak sangat jumpa mereka. Walaupun mereka belum tentu suspek sebenar tetapi sebagai bapa saya nak tengok sendiri sesiapa saja yang ada kaitan dengan kes pembunuhan Nurin Jazlin,” ujarnya.

Bagaimanapun, setakat ini, polis belum memaklumkan kepada Jazimin mengenai sebarang penahanan mahupun perkembangan kes anaknya itu.

- Utusan Malaysia

Missing child alert system in place

2008-01-14T13:00:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: A system to immediately alert everyone when a missing child case is reported is already in place, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said this could be seen in the case of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar where various groups, including the media and the community, were coming together quickly to locate her.

“We are awaiting the Cabinet’s approval before formally implementing the system,” she said yesterday after launching a Nur Sejahtera health event at Desa Pantai flats in Pantai Dalam.

She was asked to comment on when a system such as the Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network (Nurin) Alert would be implemented to help locate missing children without delay.

The Nurin Alert was first suggested following the murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who was abducted and her body was found stuffed into a sports bag a month later last September.

Nurin’s uncle Jasni Abdul Jalil and several bloggers drafted a proposal on the Nurin Alert and submitted it to Shahrizat’s ministry late last year.

In the United States, the Amber (America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response) Alert is a warning system implemented to immediately trace missing children via a comprehensive network involving authorities and the community.

It was named after Amber Hagerman, nine, who was abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996.

Shahrizat said lessons were learnt from Nurin’s case and efforts to locate Sharlinie started earlier, including the immediate distribution of posters.

“Police have also taken quicker action and there is more involvement from the community and non-governmental organisations.”

- The Star

Activating (NURIN) Alert for Nini

2008-01-12T14:26:00.000+08:00

Citizens For NURIN Alert - a group of concerned citizens advocating an alert system in finding, locating and saving missing children -- is pleased that Celcom, LiteFM (and its sister stations), television stations and the print media have taken prompt pro-active measures in complementing police efforts to find 5 year-old Nini (Sharlinie Mohd Nashar) who has been missing since she was abducted at a playground in Taman Dato Harun (PJS) on Wednesday (Jan 9).

CFNA Jasni Abdul Jalil said in advocating the introduction and implementation of NURIN Alert (modelled on AMBER Alert, the original US mechanism), Citizens For NURIN Alert hopes that these bodies continue unabated in volunteering to fortify efforts to save Nini in the shortest possible time.

The action by Celcom and the broadcasting and print media is key in activating a system like AMBER alert on which the proposed NURIN Alert is based.

This will go far in the search and rescue for Nini.

Citizens For NURIN Alert is pleased with the swift and serious action by Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in appealing to TV stations to flash Nini's picture as often as possible and in warning her abductors not to harm her.

CFNA believes that time is key in the seach for Nini.

All that had taken place since Nini was reported missing on Wednesday has demonstrated the mechanism by which the proposed NURIN Alert works.

With new cases of missing children, CFNA feels that it is all the more compelling that an alert system such as the proposed Nurin Alert be swiftly put in place.

At this stage CFNA is working closely with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, a corporation and a unit of the Royal Malaysian Police as well as a group of professionals to make NURIN Alert a reality.

Citizens For NURIN Alert was formed following the death of 8 year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin in September last year.

Nurin was abducted on Aug 20 near her home in Wangsa Maju. Her brutalized body was found stuffed in a sports bag at a shoplot in PJ on September 17.

It was felt that not enough had been done to search for her and to save her in the 28days that she went missing.

CFNA felt that an alert mechanism modelled on AMBER Alert should be in place "to save the next child" as AMBER Alert had proven to be highly effective, and thus, successful in saving he lives of missing children.

Nurin's death should not be in vain. NURIN Alert is named (with her parents' blessings) after her and is in her memory.

CFNA's pro-tem committee comprise chairman Kamal Affandi, Jasni, and committee members Nik Farez, Nur Azrina Abdul Samad, Hanizah Hashim and Nuraina Abdul Samad.

For more on Citizens For Nurin Alert, click here, and here,.
Read also Tembam for an education.

Jazimin: Crank calls only add to the pain

2008-01-12T13:06:00.000+08:00

By AYU MUSA KAMAL and MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

PETALING JAYA: It’s a vicious cycle. When Nurin Jazlin Jazimin and Mohd Nazrin Shamsul, or Yin, went missing last year, their parents received countless prank calls offering false leads and nasty text messages.

This time around, it is the parents of missing five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar who are on the receiving end. The girl’s uncle, Shahrizal Satirin, 34, told The Malay Mail that Sharlinie’s parents had received almost 200 calls and text messages since Friday.

He said most called to express their concern and offer words of encouragement. Those who weren’t abusive offered false leads.

“This is unnecessary. Although they could be youngsters, they do not realise the damage they are causing.

“The distressed parents are already bogged down with more important matters,” said Shahrizal, who has been keeping Sharlinie’s parents — Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain and Suraya Ahmad — company since the day she went missing. Shahrizal thanked members of the public who had expressed concern and offered help.

“It is comforting to know that many people care. We received calls and text messages from all over Malaysia.

“Even Indonesians had called to wish us luck. They said they are praying for Sharlinie’s safe return,” said Shahrizal. Suraya said she still believes that Nini (Sharlinie) is unharmed. She hasn’t given up hope.

“My instincts tell me that Nini is safe. I do not want to have any negative thoughts concerning my daughter’s condition at the moment. Suraya is praying to hear good news about her daughter.

“We’ve yet to receive any updates on the investigation,” she said, adding that she and her husband have been in a state of despair since their daughter’s disappearance.

On Friday, Nurin Jazlin’s father, Jazimin Abdul Jalil, paid them a visit at their home in Taman Medan.

Jazimin, who spent several hours with the couple, said he understood what they were going through.

“I lost my daughter for 27 days. I came to motivate and share my experiences with them,” he said.

“I pray for Nini’s safety and hope she does not end up like my daughter. I hope they get a happy ending.”

He also hopes that the public will stop tormenting the couple with prank calls and false information.

“The family is under tremendous pressure. Please don’t add to their pain. Just help them with the right information.”

- The Malay Mail

Laman blog Nurin lancar gerakan cari Sharlinie

2008-01-12T08:20:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR 11 Jan. - Berita mengenai kehilangan kanak-kanak berusia lima tahun, Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, di Taman Medan, kelmarin, terus mendapat perhatian pelbagai pihak.

Antara yang aktif memaparkan isu mengenai kehilangan dan melancarkan gerakan mencari Sharlinie adalah laman blog www.nurinjazlin.blog spot.com.

Walaupun diwujudkan khusus mengenang Allahyarham Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, laman blog itu tidak ketinggalan menyeru rakyat Malaysia agar memberikan kerjasama dalam usaha mengesan kanak-kanak tersebut.

Pengendali laman blog berkenaan, Jasni Abdul Jalil, 44, berkata, selain membantu, penyiaran berita kehilangan Sharlinie dalam laman blog berkenaan adalah bagi menyatakan rasa simpatinya terhadap apa yang berlaku.

‘‘Pihak kami pernah merasakan apa yang kini dirasai oleh keluarga Sharlinie iaitu kehilangan Nurin.

‘‘Atas rasa simpati, saya selitkan sama berita kehilangan Sharlinie dalam laman blog agar dia dapat ditemui semula dengan selamat,’’ katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Dalam kejadian kira-kira pukul 11.30 pagi kelmarin, Sharlinie dan kakaknya, Sharliena, 8, yang dalam perjalanan pulang dari bermain di taman permainan berdekatan rumahnya di Jalan PJS2C/11N, Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, hilang ‘dalam sekelip mata’.

Lokasi kali terakhir Sharlinie dilihat kakaknya ialah kira-kira 150 meter dari rumah mereka iaitu di persimpangan lorong ke taman permainan itu dengan di kiri kanannya adalah rumah teres.

Jasni berkata, bagi membantu usaha mengesan, laman blog tersebut turut memaparkan gambar Sharlinie serta lakaran wajah suspek yang dikatakan menculik kanak-kanak itu.

‘‘Kita juga menyeru dan meminta sesiapa yang mempunyai maklumat mengenai Sharlinie supaya menghubungi Rakan Cop di talian 03-21159999,’’ katanya.

Ditanya mengenai maklum balas orang ramai terhadap berita kehilangan Sharlinie menerusi laman blog itu, beliau menjelaskan bahawa selain menyatakan rasa marah, masyarakat turut memberikan pelbagai cadangan dalam usaha mengesan Sharlinie.

- Utusan Malaysia

Suspect spotted at playground

2008-01-12T08:12:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: A witness told police he has seen a man who looks like the suspect wanted in connection with the abduction of Sharlinie Mohd Nasyar.

He said the man's likeness to the person in the photofit published in the newspapers was about 70 per cent.

The witness, Yuslan Yusof, said he saw the suspect, in his 30s, between 12pm and 1pm at the playground in Taman Medan where the 5-year-old girl was playing before she went missing.

Yuslan, 45, who runs a stall selling drinks at the playground, said the suspect arrived at the playground on a motorcycle. He was riding pillion.

He said they rode around the playground at least twice on their blue colour Yamaha 125 before parking the machine. The two men met a man at the playground. The three spoke for a few minutes and left.

"I remembered the man after seeing the photofit in newspapers on Thursday morning. He could be the same man in the photofit."

He said the suspect had a dark complexion and was about 1.59m tall.

Jazimin Abdul Jalil, father of 8-year-old Nurin who was sexually assaulted and killed in September last year, said the photofits of the suspects wanted in connection with his daughter's murder and Sharlinie's case looked similar.

"The difference is their hair," he added.

Jazimin visited Sharlinie's parents at their home in Taman Medan and spent more than three hours with them yesterday.

Jazimin said the suspect must be located as soon as possible.

- New Straits Times

Jazimin offers support to Sharlinie’s parents

2008-01-12T08:07:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: He relived the trauma and grief of losing a child when he read about a missing five-year-old.

Knowing the pain the father was going through, Jazimin Abdul Jalil felt compelled to drive to Taman Medan here to offer emotional support.

He spent nearly four hours with the parents and relatives of Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, believed to have been abducted on Wednesday.

Jazimin lost his eight-year-old daughter Nurin last year.

The girl had gone to buy hair clips from the night market just metres away from her flat in Wangsa Maju. She never returned.

In September, her body was found stuffed in a sports bag. She had been sexually abused and murdered.

“I suffered for 27 days – going around looking for her, the frustration of not knowing, the anxiety of waiting and eventually, the grief of discovering that my child had died.

“It was also difficult having to cope with all kinds of allegations written by some press, for example, that I was in debt with Ah Longs or that my wife and I were negligent parents,” said Jazimin.

He urged the press to be fair to Sharlinie’s parents by reporting accurately as some people might not come forward to help if they assumed that the parents were negligent.

“The important thing is to help find Sharlinie,” said Jazimin, who came alone.

He said he saw some similarities between the photofit of the suspect released by the police in Nurin's case and the photofit of the male suspect in the Taman Medan case.

- The Star

Police Inundated With Information On Sharlinie

2008-01-12T00:09:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Two days after the media highlighted the disappearance of five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, the police are finding their hands full.

Petaling Jaya police have been inundated with information pertaining to the girl's disappearance.

District police chief, ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said the police were investigating every piece of information and were leaving no stone unturned.

Declining to divulge the formation so as not to hamper investigations, he said however, that the district police had contacted its counterpart in Seberang Prai to facilitate investigations into Sharlinie's disappearance.

"We have requested Seberang Prai police to verify a piece of information which we received, that the girl was found in Butterworth," Arjunaidi told reporters today.

On the probability that Sharlinie might have been taken out of the country, he said the police had yet to receive such information.

Arjunaidi added that posters of the girl bearing the relevant particulars, were distributed in the Klang Valley, with more being printed for distribution nationwide.

He said the police received good cooperation from NGOs and neighbourhood watch groups.

On Wednesday, Sharlinie affectionately known as Nini, was reported missing about 11.30am, while playing with her eight-year-old sister, Sharliena, at a playground about 200 metres from their house in Taman Medan.

In BUTTERWORTH, the 4B Youth Movement Malaysia is sparing no effort in locating Sharlinie.

It social service chairman, Mohamad Fozi Rejab, said the movement's members were deployed to distribute posters at the railway and bus stations, and public places.

"Yesterday, we helped distribute about 10,000 posters in Petaling Jaya. Today, we sent out 2,000 posters in Butterworth," he said.

In BALING, Putera Umno chief, Datuk Abdul Azeez Rahim said the movement would distribute 10,000 posters to help in the search for Sharlinie.

Other movements also helping in the search for Sharlinie are the Welfare Association of Former Intelligence Personnel and the Federation of Peninsula Malay Students Union.

-- BERNAMA

Save the children

2008-01-11T22:07:00.001+08:00

ANOTHER child has gone missing, the second child to disappear in the same neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya in under a week. Coming three months after the brutal murder of little Nurin Jazlin, 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nasyar's absence since Wednesday morning is an urgent reminder that more has to be done to ensure children are safe.

The proposed Nurin Alert system would help immensely. Modelled on the successful Amber Alert programme in the United States, public notifications are made through media outlets, helping in cases when police need to disseminate information quickly and widely, to find an abducted child.

But preventing abductions is always going to be better than even the best system for recovering a taken child. A slew of measures has just been announced to fight rising crime, but prevention is something that Malaysians will have to take responsibility for.

Studies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have shown that abductions by strangers are rare. The majority of missing children were taken by one of their own parents, usually divorced and denied custody or visiting rights. Abduction by relatives and known people is also common.

In Malaysia, there is much less data available but it seems safe to say stranger-abductions are crimes of opportunity. If opportunities abound, even the best-manned police force will struggle to keep up.

As in other countries, the pattern of rapid industrialisation and economic growth here has been followed by widespread urbanisation and fast-paced change.

This has created environments where communities are more fragmented and less social, where apathy and inattention give predators the chance they need to take a child from a playground, a street, a school compound. Even ever-vigilant parents need to teach their children, young ones included, the skills they need to survive.

They should be taught how to avoid abduction like they should be taught how to avoid getting hit by cars when crossing the road. Adults often assume children possess skills they may not have, so it will take more than just saying "bad men will kidnap you and make you beg on the streets".

Children are taught to respect and trust adults, so they need to learn how to sense danger. They should be told to kick and scream if someone forces them into a car. In this, at least, the government and the police can take a lead, funding awareness programmes, distributing booklets and offering training.

A sound programme is sorely needed if this year is not to be another year scarred by news of missing children.

- New Straits Times