THE Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and her deputy Aiman Athirah Sabu have expressed concern over the recent arrest and detention of a teenage girl in Pasir Gudang, Johor, for alleged indecent behaviour with a 22-year-old man.
Nancy criticised the authorities for failing to protect the rights of a child and called for better handling of cases involving young offenders.
Aiman stressed that the detention of minors should be a last resort and cited Section 83A of the Child Act 2001, which prohibits the handcuffing of minors and requires them to be separated from adults while in police custody.
She also noted that minors have the right to consult a lawyer of their choice, and their identity must be protected and not revealed.
Moreover, Nancy has pledged to work with the authorities to initiate necessary reforms and improve the handling of such cases.
She called on the public and media to exercise caution when sharing information about minors and children in trouble with the law.
The treatment of the teenager during her remand process has been criticised, with concerns raised over her welfare following heavy press attention and police conduct.
In a statement, MUDA human rights bureau chief Dobby Chew highlighted the potential long-term harm inflicted by police misconduct and mistakes in such situations and called for accountability.
The couple involved in the case has been released and has sought help from Tebrau MP and lawyer Jimmy Puah claiming they were accosted by people posing as police personnel.
As investigations continue, Nancy declined to comment further, stating that they would “await the results from the police.”
“Authorities should do better in handling cases involving young offenders,” added Aiman, emphasising the need to protect the rights of minors and consider the interests of the child before resorting to detainment. — April 9, 2023
Main photo credit: Utusan Malaysia
