Many parents are still ignorant about keeping their children safe or simply negligent especially in the larger cities.Kampongs may have been safe havens where neighbours look out for each other but cities should be treated with great caution as the sense of caring for other people is lacking as most people are in a hurry or do not know about other people's problems. There is usually more delay to offer help as one can also become the victim of a staged incident.
We had a basic rule for our four children untill they were teenagers. "No going out on your own without an adult".
This meant that activities like swimming etc were closely supervised.
It is sad for a family to suffer a loss like this and it may be too late already for this poor girl.
So parents please do not allow your small children out unaccompanied as there are many predators out there.
This incident happened to my son about 2 years back in Johor Bahru.
He was waiting for a bus along the Tebrau Highway opposite the Plaza Pelangi when two youths approached him.
One of them asked him to follow them to some shops nearby. They spoke in Chinese and he replied in English, saying he did not want to follow them.
The guy repeated the request and my son still refused. He observed that the guy took out a small knife but kept it behind him and my son got a little worried . He was debating whether he should try to disarm the guy with some Judo his sister had taught him. My son is about 1.70m tall and built like a rugby player so he was somewhat confident about protecting himself.
Then he saw his bus approaching and told the guy he had to go and the other guy then told his partner to stop the harrassment of my son.
I suspect it could have been a test for a new gang member to see how efective he was to recruit new members or it could have been a kidnap attempt.
After that we did not allow him to take the bus for a few months. And I drove around the area with him asking if he could spot the two guys. This area is probably a good spot for extortionists as the Omega private schools are in the vicinity.
Photo: Thanks to the Star
xv
1 comment:
My prayers are with the parents and family members in their period of pain and uncertainty.
I believe that everyone of us have to be vigilant and not take anything for granted. Your advice is relevant and true. There are so many parents who do not let their children return home by public transport or school buses instead they take pains to ferry their children to and from school.
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