Edited By: ZAINAB ALIYU O.
Police say seven girls have been reported missing over the past five months, with some feared kidnapped.
In the latest case, 17-year-old Erma Fatima Shamsul Bahari disappeared after leaving a family breakfast to use a restaurant restroom on October 25 in northern Terengganu state.
“So far we have gone to two or three places where we suspected she had met up with some friends, but we have yet to make any progress on the case,” Kuala Terengganu district police chief Azli Mohd Noor told This Week in Asia on Monday.
“The case is still actively under investigation, and we have sent out word over social media [for public assistance],” he said, adding that police so far have not found evidence pointing to a possible kidnapping.
Just a few days earlier, on October 22, the father of 18-year-old Puteri Ellyana Natasha Abdullah reported that his daughter did not arrive for a scheduled pickup after finishing her shift at a restaurant in the town of Tampin, Negeri Sembilan state.
Although he managed to contact her the following night, she informed him that she was in Penang, 440km (274 miles) away, seeking “inner peace”. Since then, she has been unreachable.
The police are asking the public for any information on the two girls’ whereabouts.
Girls and young women face a “particular risk” of exploitation by individuals or criminal groups involved in human trafficking and the illegal sex trade, said Sharmila Sekaran, chair of child rights group Voice of the Children.
“The reason why girls get kidnapped or swayed by predators is of course there is a large sexual element to it,” Sharmila told This Week in Asia. “They can make her a sex slave within Malaysia, but also be trafficked outside the country.”
For every 100 children reported missing, 96 are found, with some unfortunately deceased
Malaysian Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
The situation has also raised questions about police efforts to ensure public safety, especially for children.
“Our daughters are not safe now. I have not seen police patrols on the roads, unlike other countries. Are they lazy or don’t have budget?” commented a Facebook user, Ruben Nika.
Authorities report that they have successfully located 96 per cent of the 3,847 children aged 18 and younger who were reported missing between the start of 2020 and September of this year.
“This means that for every 100 children reported missing, 96 are found, with some unfortunately deceased,” Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told parliament on October 17.
Among those who did not return home was 10-year-old Nuraina Humaira Rosli, whose body was discovered in a swampy area near an Orang Asli settlement in Perak state on August 17. Police believe she was raped and murdered, based on injuries found on her neck and genitals.
A 27-year-old male relative of the victim and a 17-year-old boy from the same village have been arrested to assist in the investigation.
Nuraina’s death, along with the 4 per cent of children who remain missing, shows the urgent need for improved safety measures for children, especially young girls, according to Nazreen Nizam, acting executive director of the Women’s Aid Organization.
She said this requires a collective effort – from neighborhood watch groups to schools and parents – to enhance vigilance and educate children about personal safety.
“There is also a pressing need for dedicated law enforcement task forces, specially trained and equipped to handle child disappearance cases swiftly and with the necessary resources,” Nazreen said.
Sharmila, the child rights activist, urged the government to expedite its licensing proposal for social media and mass communication platforms to limit access to harmful content such as child pornography and to crack down on online predators.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of sex offences, which has a correlation with the amount of time people are accessing porn and some of it may be child sex materials,” Sharmila warned.