Her death A WAKE-UP CALL

THE nation is still reeling in shock over the death of a 5-year-old girl last week in Menglembu, Ipoh, believed to have been abused by her mother.

Photos of Ho Yan Hui's tiny body, with injuries and scars, angered just about anyone who chanced upon them.

We asked ourselves how could one do such a thing to a child, let alone your own flesh and blood.

As a friend said following the incident, "It pained me even to hit my three dogs to such an extent, what more a child."

Little Yan Hui's mother, Choong Mee Chin, 30, has since been charged with her murder.

What is worse, the child's father, Ho Kok Peng, 39, is expected to testify against his own wife over the alleged crime.

The pain the little girl had endured possibly for months, or even years, must have been extremely excruciating.

Yes, she may be "naughty", for she was born extremely hyperactive, but that shouldn't be a reason to punish her, let alone kill her. Bear in mind that Yan Hui did not ask to be born that way.

It may seem cruel to some, but, many others are actually "glad" that she has finally passed on.

Their argument -- Yan Hui no longer has to suffer now. I cannot help but agree that the little girl no longer has to suffer. That is the only consolation.

Whether or not her mother would eventually be found guilty of the crime, is left for everyone to see.

While we are having our "oohs' and "ahhs" over Yan Hui's case, have we conveniently forgotten the same fate which befell J. Pavitra, coincidentally, almost the same time last year? Pavitra, who was 4 years old then, died at the Klinik 1Malaysia in Kampung Tawas, Ipoh, due to serious bruises and injuries on her body, consistent with a child abuse victim.

The child's mother, T. Parimala, then 33, and her security guard boyfriend, S. Kupertalan, then 27, were jointly charged with the child's murder.

The case is currently pending in court.

Like Parimala, Choong may have had her reasons to "hit" Yan Hui, but trust me, no mother would ever kill her own child, not after carrying the child in her womb for nine months.

As such, it is unfair for critics to jump on the bandwagon and lash out at Choong and Parimala without knowing the facts.

Maybe the two women, like many others out there, may have suffered from some form of depression, for whatever reasons.

It could also be the stress of having to take care of a special needs child, as in the case of Yan Hui.

That, coupled with the child's father, who did not have a permanent income as an odd-job worker, may have aggravated the family's financial situation.

Instead of criticising the two mothers, have we stopped to ask ourselves, if we too are to be blamed for Yan Hui, Pavitra and many other abused child's deaths?

Yan Hui and Pavitra's deaths are not the first, but let's hope that it will be the last.

Could the girls have been alive today? Yes, I believe, if help came to them much earlier. One wonders how their continuous abuse could have gone unnoticed by other family members, their neighbours or friends.

Someone must have known something at least. What about the child's incessant cries while being beaten?

Is society so caught up these days that they have no time to even notice what is happening around them? Have neighbours stopped talking to one another?

As state Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Datuk Rusnah Kassim pointed out, the proverb jangan jaga tepi kain orang", is no longer relevant these days.

"If we would have known about Yan Hui's abuse case earlier, she would have been alive today. It is too late now.

"Neighbours have to come forward and provide information to the authorities if there are any suspected cases."

One thing is for sure -- society must play a more proactive role to arrest the rising number of child abuse cases.

Authorities, particularly those dealing with children, should also play an important role, to ensure their safety and security.

With so many cases of child abuse reported previously, has there been any proper studies done to identify the root cause of such incidents?

What kind of assistance is rendered to abuse victims, who survive the ordeals, their siblings, and even their abusers, to ensure it does not recur?

Dear people, let Yan Hui's death not be in vain.

Let Yan Hui's death be an eye opener that the issue needs to be addressed more seriously.

Rest in peace little Ho Yan Hui and I am sure you are in a much better place now.

- New Straits Times