Enact child safety laws for high-rise residential buildings, says Suhakam
Suhakam children's commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki called for regular inspections of high-rise residential units to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features.
PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for the enactment of specific laws to enhance child safety legislation in high-rise residential buildings, following the recent deaths of a seven-year-old and two-year-old in separate accidents.
'These back-to-back tragedies are not isolated accidents.
'They are preventable deaths that starkly expose the failure to implement essential safety measures in high-rise residential buildings,' Suhakam children's commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki said in a statement today.
She said the child safety laws to be enacted by the housing and local government ministry should include mandatory safety grilles or protective mesh on windows and balconies for apartment and flat units.
'Additionally, minimum safety design standards for child-friendly high-rise units must be established under existing building laws or regulations.
'The ministry and local authorities must also review current building design guidelines to ensure that child safety considerations are mandatory in all high-rise residential developments,' she said.
The seven-year-old girl who died on May 20 fell from a babysitter's home on the 29th floor of a condominium in Puchong, Subang Jaya.
Subang Jaya deputy police chief Fairus Jaafar said preliminary findings indicated that the victim climbed out of the window, which had no safety grilles installed.
On May 17, meanwhile, a two-year-old boy fell from the seventh floor of a public housing building in Presint 9, Putrajaya.
Farah Nini called for local authorities to conduct regular inspections of high-rise residential units, especially rental properties, to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features.
'The absence of basic safety features in high-rise homes directly contributed to the loss of these young lives. This is unacceptable in any society that claims to uphold children's rights,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
17 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Retired factory worker in Penang loses RM733,000 in bogus investment scheme promising 15pc return
GEORGE TOWN, June 21 — A retired factory worker recently lost RM733,300 after falling victim to an online investment scam syndicate. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Barat Daya district police headquarters received a report from the 66-year-old victim on June 18. He said the victim claimed to have received a text message in early March from a woman who introduced herself as a representative of a reputable investment company. 'He was promised a return of between 10 and 15 per cent on each investment, within just 20 minutes,' he said in a statement today. 'Interested in the offer, the victim was instructed to download an application to register as a member and begin investing. Hamzah said the victim made 25 transactions into three different bank accounts between March 7 and April 24, but realised he had been cheated when he was asked to make an additional payment to withdraw his supposed investment profits. He added that further investigations are ongoing, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. — Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Cops arrest couple over string of housebreakings, robberies in Melaka, KL and Selangor, seize stolen goods, gold and cars
MELAKA, June 21 — Police have arrested a couple suspected of involvement in seven housebreaking and robbery cases in Melaka and neighbouring states since January this year. Melaka Tengah police chief ACP Christopher Patit said the unemployed lovebirds, aged 24 and 31, were arrested in Kuala Kurau, Perak, on June 4. 'On May 28, police received two reports involving a housebreaking and robbery in the Melaka Tengah district linked to the couple. 'Their modus operandi included targeting homestays and stealing various electrical appliances and furniture from the premises,' he said in a statement today. Initial investigations found that the pair were involved in three housebreaking and robbery cases in Melaka Tengah and four others in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, respectively. Various items, including electrical appliances, household furniture, a gold bracelet, two cars, five pawnshop receipts, and five mobile phones were seized.. He said investigations are still underway, and the case is being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for housebreaking and Section 392 of the Penal Code for robbery. In a separate development, he said a clothing dealer was arrested for allegedly firing a shot with an air pistol at Jalan Johor, Semabok, on June 8. 'Following intelligence gathering and public tip-off, the 35-year-old suspect was arrested in Puchong, Selangor, on June 17. Police also seized a black bag, a silver-black air pistol bearing the inscription Pietro Beretta Gardone V.T., a speed loader, and 30 ball-bearing bullets. The suspect has been remanded for seven days until June 23 to assist in the investigation under Section 33 of the Arms Act 1960 and Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief. The case is still under investigation, and he urged the public not to speculate, as it could interfere with the ongoing probe. — Bernama
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Police hunt trio after machete-wielding robbery at Teluk Intan entertainment outlet
IPOH, June 21 — Police have mounted a manhunt for three male suspects involved in an armed robbery at an entertainment outlet along Jalan Changkat Jong, Teluk Intan, on June 15. Hilir Perak police chief ACP Dr Bakri Zainal Abidin said one of the suspects has been identified as a 37-year-old local man with a prior criminal record. 'This suspect has also been placed on the wanted list, and efforts to track down all three individuals are being intensified,' he said in a statement today. He added that the Forensic Unit from the Perak contingent police headquarters (IPK) visited the scene and collected several pieces of evidence, including bloodstains, two fingerprints, broken glass fragments, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Earlier, a 30-second video went viral on social media, showing three masked men exiting a Honda car and brandishing machetes at individuals at an entertainment outlet. Bakri said a police report on the incident was lodged at 1.02 am on June 15 at the Hilir Perak district police headquarters by a 42-year-old security guard employed at the premises. He said that the three suspects had stormed into the premises, damaged property, and fled with an iPhone 14 Pro belonging to an employee, along with RM2,000 in cash taken from the counter. He added that the suspects also injured two customers with the machetes and smashed the windows of four vehicles parked near the premises. Police have opened an investigation paper under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery and Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief involving damage to public property. — Bernama
