PARLIAMENT | A government backbencher has criticised Tourism Minister Mohammadin Ketapi for brushing off child sexual abuse concerns during Visit Malaysia Year 2020 by insisting that it was not a matter under his ministry.
Kasthuri Patto (Harapan-Batu Kawan) had wanted to know the measures taken to mitigate incidences of child sexual predators coming in as tourists next year but Mohammadin dismissed her question.
"I would like to interject. This question misses its target by far. Do you understand? My ministry does not deal with child sexual abuse. You should ask properly and not embarrass my ministry," he said in his winding-up speech for Tourism Ministry's budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
An exasperated Kasthuri (above) stressed that the Tourism Ministry still has a role to play and these include advertisement by the ministry, but to no avail.
"My ministry is not related to sexual harassment. I would like to wrap up my speech. I am not giving way, enough," Mohammadin (photo) replied.
Speaking to Malaysiakini later, Kasthuri said it was shameful that the minister was brushing off the concerns.
She stressed that dealing with child sexual predators coming in as tourists should be a cross-ministerial effort involving the Home Ministry, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Communication and Multimedia Ministry and Tourism Ministry.
"He said child sexual violence is not under his ministry and said my question strayed far away from the topic.
"It was in my budget speech and I have every right to ask for an answer. For him to brush it aside shows how serious he views transboundary child sexual exploitation in the region.
"It's a shame the minister wants to wash his hands off it," she told Malaysiakini.
Khasthuri said Mohammadin spoke like a "misinformed" person.
She stressed that the government needs to outline concrete actions and steps to promote and advertise government policies, hotline numbers and avenues to report incidences or suspicion of child exploitation.
In 2016, it was revealed that Richard Huckle (above), a UK student who took a gap year to travel to Malaysia had sexually abused at least 23 children in Kuala Lumpur.
Huckle spent a year in Malaysia after finishing his education in 2005 and returned to the country a few times before permanently relocating here in 2010.
He was accused of preying on up to 200 children, 23 of whom are children from poor communities in Kuala Lumpur based on the charges.
Huckle had worked at local churches and charities while in Malaysia which he used to gain access to vulnerable children.
He had shared photographs and videos of his abuses on the dark web, similar to a black market in real life which requires special access.
UK police eventually moved in on him in 2014 after a tip-off from the Australian police but Malaysian authorities appear to have been in the dark with the then attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali stating that he was seeking more information from the UK.
Huckle was in 2016 handed 22 life sentences after he admitted to 71 charges of sexually abusing children aged between six months to 12 years old between 2006 and 2014.
He was stabbed to death in a UK prison last month. - Mkini
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