Kanak-Kanak Di Dera, Di Cabul Bakal Menjadi Dewasa Terencat, Miskin Dan Bermasalah.

The following is a lengthy Press Release by three doctors associations, of largely Malay Muslim doctors. This is truncated. May I suggest they release a copy in Malay as well.

14 September 2024
For Immediate Release

The Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM), Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) and the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA) is deeply concerned and absolutely appalled with the recent reports in the media highlighting alarming instances of child abuse and exploitation across the country.

The lackadaisical approach of the government ministries and agencies entrusted with the universal protection and care of our childen is utterly disheartening and disappointing.

As advocates for the rights, welfare and wellbeing of children, we strongly condemn in no uncertain terms, all forms of physical, sexual and mental abuse and explotation of children, which has unequivocally been shown to have devastating long-term psychological effects on children and in many instances are permanent and irrevocable.

Much has been researched on the long term consequences of child abuse and neglect on the social, behavioral, and mental health problems among young adults.

Less has been researched of these children who have histories of childhood abuse and neglect, and who also suffer from long term sequelae of economic distress. As adults, they are detrimentally handicapped in terms of their education, employment, occupation, earnings, and assets.

Like the 21.2% of our children who are nutritionally stunted, these historically abused children, are significant costs in terms of future workforce economic productivity, with a knock on effect on the GDP of the nation.

The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.

Sincerely,

Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
Past-President, Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia (IMAM)

Dr Mohamad Ikram Ilias
President, Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA)

Dr Zulkifli Ismail
Secretary General, Asia Pacific Pediatric Associations (APPA)

 

My Comments : Morality is not a commodity that is found in any quantity in this country. Ours is not a moral country. If this society had strong moral values or any moral values we would not be facing so many predicaments. 

Unfortunately morality is not the same across the various groups that we have in this country. There have been changes in the moral equilibrium in our society over the past 50 years or so. 

Some communities have changed and become "better".  Perhaps with better education and better economic status. As the late Mr Nelson Mandela said, the worse oppression and cruelty inflicted on the human race is the slavery of poverty. Poverty does bring out the worst in the human being. Remove the poverty and you build a better society.

Then there are also some communities who were alright before. They appeared to have better moral and social values in the past.  But over the years they have become more immoral and almost totally lacking in empathy. Lacking in empathy meaning they have lost the  ability to understand and share the feelings of other human beings around them. 

They can develop almost inhuman hatreds towards their own people, even their own families. Imagine their hatreds towards  people of other races, languages and religions.

This condition has worsened over the years. It is most likely that the arrival of other more recent influences has made them worse. More recent influences like overzealous religion has made people lose their morality. 

• The moral values of all religions are highly debateable, especially by other religions.
• What is considered "good" by one religion can be plainly evil and satanic to another religion.  
• It is highly debateable if religion has any good moral values at all.
• Plus it is an absolute, certain, fully established fact that so called "religious societies" have no better morals than the next society of another religions or no religion. Too often the religious societies are much more immoral than societies that have less or no religion.
  

My personal view : What is considered "good" by religion is too often plainly evil and satanic. 

• No 1 top of the list is 'belief without proofs'. 
• No 2 is actually more satanic 'you must believe what I believe'.

What we need are science based values. As the Muslim doctors have said above : physical, sexual and mental abuse and explotation of children, which has unequivocally been shown to have devastating long-term psychological effects on children and in many instances are permanent and irrevocable

"which has unequivocally been shown"   implying there is empirical data. They have the facts, figures and the numbers of cases to prove this as true.

This can be scientifically established. Hence we need to teach the society that any form of abuse of children - physical, sexual, psychological abuse - will have long term and permanent consequences.

Abused kids will likely grow up to become adults with no empathy for the human being. Since they themselves suffered abuse they will not hesitate to heap abuse onto others. It is a vicious cycle. 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.