BY Nazrinzulaiqa Hasbi
KUCHING: Both parents and teachers play a significant role in protecting children from abuse, says the chairman of Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA).
“We need to continuously educate our children on such dangers,” said Datuk Dr John Lau Pang Heng.
“Sex education needs to be implemented in schools as a serious topic so that children can have a thorough knowledge on the matter to help avoid attacks by paedophiles and other child abusers.
“Parents need to alert their children when noticing them engaging in abnormal behaviour at home while the teachers can play a key role in informing their students about paedophilia,” he said on Monday (Sept 6).
Lau suggested that academic researchers in Sarawak conduct a study on paedophilia and how to reduce this type of crime in the community.
“Children who have been abused will suffer severe emotional, psychological and physical trauma. The victims should seek counselling to help them deal with this.”
Commenting on the recent arrest of a paedophile in Lundu, he said this had painted a bad image of Sarawak, having to need assistance from foreign law enforcement agencies to bring Alladin Lanim to justice.
“We hope that the Sarawak police can conduct a thorough investigation, to find out why this crime has been going on for so many years in Lundu.”
Nevertheless, he congratulated the relevant authorities for taking the right action following the arrest of the paedophile. “It is better late than never.”
