Pursuing Nurin Alert

Today, coincidently being the 100th day since Nurin was last seen alive, a delegation of three CFNA Exco Members met the officials from the Social Welfare Department led by its Director General, Cik Meme Zainal Rashid. Others in her team were Dato' Shamsiah Ad. Rahman, Advisor to the Minister of Women, Family & Community Development; Pn. Nor Amni Yusoff, Director of the Department's Children Division; and En. Abdullah Hanafi of the Department's Legal & Advocating Division.

Representing CFNA were Nuraina, Hanizah@Tembam and me.

The meeting was basically convened as a follow up to the initial draft paper on the concept of Nurin Alert as previously submitted by CFNA to the Ministry of Women, Family & Social Development. At the meeting, the CFNA delegation was informed that the Social Welfare Department has been assigned by the Minister to follow through with the Nurin Alert initiative that would be treated as part of the Child Protection Policy.

With CFNA rendering an overview on the mechanism of the proposed Nurin Alert and the subsequent deliberations that follows, the sentiment on the rationale of introducing Nurin Alert as a vital mechanism that compliments the currently being drafted Child Protection Policy was mutually shared by both delegations.

Recognising this, the Social Welfare Department which is helming the Child Protection Policy Committee ("CCPC") sought confirmation from CFNA on their availability to participate and co-operate with CCPC in working together towards incorporating the proposed Nurin Alert into the Child Protection Policy.

The idea on the setting up of a Nurin Alert Centre which is to be funded by a Nurin Alert Corporate Partner as a pilot project was also discussed. To facilitate its setting up, it was generally agreed that the CCPC could be used as a platform to co-ordinate and secure the buying-in by the respective participants i.e. the Ministry, the Police, the Media, other related bodies and agencies as well as the public.

The meeting, though short, was indeed a further breakthrough for Nurin Alert. The bold but simple idea has indeed gained acceptance. There is definately no turning back, onward is the only direction for Nurin Alert.

Go Go Nurin Alert. Go Go Go!

Jasni AJ

p.s. There is also another significant event that took place on this 100th day. Thanks to Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur and all those who have helped, Nurin's parents collected the keys of their new home at the Ayer Panas Bandaraya Flats today. They'll move in Sunday. Alhamdullilah.

For other version of todays meeting, please visit Tembam's weblog at http://tembam.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/nurin-was-not-forgotten-today/.

The 100th Day

Today is the 100th day since Nurin was last seen alive. What have we achieved so far in terms of catching the abductor or cum murderer?

Well, though I might be wrong, but going by Datuk Johari's statement on the matter as quoted by most major newspapers last week, when he said "Buat masa ini, media tidak perlulah tanya lagi (berhubung kes Nurin)" and his other statement of "Orang awam seharusnya memahami dan tidak mendesak pihak berkuasa, sebaliknya mereka perlu diberi peluang serta masa untuk menyelesaikan kes tersebut mengikut prosedur siasatan yang ditetapkan" I would think that unless the Police is really concerned for not making any further "false" arrests like the arrest of the 4 Malay chaps and the Simm Card swallowing Indon lady; and that they really have something up the sleeves, the case sadly seems destined for cold storage indeed, at least until the next abduction cum murder!

As for the case on the distribution of the autopsy pictures,it was as early as 3rd November when it was reported that the identity of the individual responsible for distributing the autopsy pictures has been identified and would be charged in court soon after. Well, it is almost a month now since that disclosure, just where's the culprit?

"Jangan buat spekulasi!", but it has been 100 days now, what else can we "buat"?

Anyway and on the brighter side, the CFNA Exco members will be meeting some government officials tomorrow in following up with the Nurin Alert initiative. Let's hope that this other wing of the government machinery could produce better results!

Jasni AJ

Kes Nurin paling dapat tumpuan - Merdeka Centre

KUALA LUMPUR: Kes pembunuhan Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, yang mendapat liputan meluas media massa tempatan September lalu memberi kesan mendalam kepada masyarakat berbilang kaum negara ini.

Kaji selidik yang dijalankan firma penyelidikan, Merdeka Centre dengan kerjasama The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP) mendapat 43 peratus responden yang meletakkan kes membabitkan kanak-kanak itu pada kedudukan teratas.

Pengarah Merdeka Centre, Ibrahim Suffian, berkata walaupun selepas sebulan kes Nurin Jazlin berlalu, kejadian itu tetap mendapat tumpuan masyarakat apabila mencatat purata 95 peratus responden mengetahuinya.

"Kes itu (Nurin) juga mencatatkan kadar pecahan tinggi mengikut kaum iaitu masing-masing 99 peratus responden kaum India mengetahuinya, diikuti Melayu (97 peratus) dan Cina (92 peratus).

"Daripada responden yang ada, 47 peratus berpuas hati usaha polis menyelesaikan kes itu," katanya.

Isu lain yang turut mendapat perhatian umum adalah pendedahan Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (12 peratus), perbicaraan kes pembunuhan rakyat Mongolia, Altantuya Shaariibu (9 peratus) dan demonstrasi jalanan di Batu Burok (8 peratus).

Selain isu jenayah dan keselamatan awam, isu lain yang turut mendapat perhatian adalah masalah sosial, rasuah dan salah guna kuasa serta ekonomi.

Ibrahim berkata, 30 peratus responden berpendapat setiap anggota masyarakat bertanggungjawab menjamin keselamatan semua pihak, manakala 24 peratus lagi meletakkan tugas itu kepada polis dan pasukan keselamatan lain.

"Manakala 18 peratus responden menganggap kerajaan perlu dipertanggungjawabkan dalam hal keselamatan, manakala 15 peratus lagi berpendapat ibu bapa dan keluarga juga wajar memainkan peranan masing-masing," katanya.

Mengenai tugas yang dilaksanakan polis, sebanyak 58 peratus responden secara purata berpuas hati dengan polis iaitu 76 peratus bagi India dan Melayu (72 peratus).

Berkaitan klip video kes Lingam yang mengandungi perbualan telefon seorang peguam terkemuka dengan hakim kanan untuk mengatur pelantikan hakim di negara ini, secara purata responden sama ada di bandar atau luar bandar dan pecahan mengikut kaum, masing-masing memberi maklum balas seimbang.

Bagaimanapun, 50 peratus responden tidak mengetahui mengenai isu klip video itu, sekali gus dilihat tidak memberi kesan kepada undi mereka pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Selain itu, 51 peratus responden menganggap institusi kehakiman menjalankan tugas dengan dipengaruhi politik, manakala 23 peratus berpendapat badan kehakiman itu melaksanakan tugas dengan adil.

- Berita Harian

NewsFocus/Public safety: Concern over high-profile crimes

IN tracking voter sentiment on public safety -- another major concern apart from the economy -- the findings of the Merdeka Center survey noted a marked increase in the level of concern since April.

The survey attributes this to various reports of high-profile crimes during this period.

They include numerous robbery and snatch theft incidents, as well as cases such as the reported allegations of gang activities in Sarawak in April, as well as a June gathering by a group of people in front of the Johor menteri besar's residence to express unhappiness over the crime situation.

The high level of concern by respondents carried through to August, when the story of a missing 8-year-old girl grabbed public attention.

The discovery of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin's body the next month further increased public concern. Nearly 100 per cent of respondents said they were aware of the case, with over 90 per cent expressing concerns over child safety.

The survey found that crime and violence against children came second on the list of concerns. It was prevalent among one in every six respondents.

Despite the worries, there was a near even balance between respondents who felt public safety to be mainly a family and societal responsibility, as opposed to those who believed that it's mainly the government's responsibility.

The survey noted that voters were also moderately satisfied with how the police was working to prevent crime.

The survey concluded that public safety could become one of the issues that would affect public sentiment in the coming general election, with nearly half of the respondents reporting as such.

In listing voters' top concerns, what was also striking were some of the things that the respondents collectively placed lower on their list of immediate priorities.

They include some of the other hotly-debated public issues over the past year, such as racial inequality and a lack of racial integration.

However, only half of the respondents were aware of another current topic -- the video clip controversy over alleged fixing of judicial appointments. At present, the public issue of greatest interest to respondents remains the Nurin case. Over 43 per cent cited it as the issue that they were most concerned about.

That's more than three times the number who cited the auditor-general's report (12 per cent). The illegal assembly incident in Batu Buruk, Terengganu, came in at a distant eight per cent.

- NST Online

Revisiting the Nurin's Tragedy : A Diagnostic Analysis Report

By Munira Mustaffa

It began with an innocent visit to the night market.

On the evening of August 20th 2007, 8-year old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin asked her mother for permission to run down to the neighbourhood’s night market. She wanted to buy hair grips for herself. Her mother, Norazian Bistaman, was entertaining a guest at that time. She said ok, thinking that Nurin was going to be accompanied by her younger sister. Her daughters usually go out either in a buddy-system or in groups. It never occurred to her that Nurin had decided to venture out by herself.

Nurin slipped out and made her way towards the night market, located approximately 100m away from the family flat. The family lived in Wangsa Maju, one of Kuala Lumpur’s largest townships. It is known to be a busy area, day or night, even busier with the hustle and bustle of the weekly night market that takes place every Monday evening. Who would have thought that a century ago, a vast rubber estate once stood here? Since the township was formed in 1984, Wangsa Maju has transformed itself over the years, from a quiet rural area and finally developed into one of Kuala Lumpur’s characteristic bustling urban quarters. Population has doubled over the years.

The night market scene where Nurin was headed to was far from idyllic. Night markets, synonymous with Malaysian culture, are usually very busy and very popular with Malaysians to shop for their fresh vegetables, fruits and meat as an alternative to supermarkets. Youths enjoy taking a stroll through night-markets, sampling a wide variety of drinks and goodies sold there.

Yet, despite the bustling atmosphere of the night market, the shoppers failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. The only witness to the abduction was another little girl, who had innocently assumed that Nurin was being taken home by someone she knew, perhaps a relative.

Meanwhile, back at home, Nurin’s parents grew frantic when they realized their little girl had not returned. The night was getting late. Father, Jazimin Abd. Jalil, who worked as a cab-driver, knew immediately that something was wrong. He went out to search for his missing daughter without success, despite help from concerned relatives and neighbours. The traders at the night market had not seen her since her last purchase and could offer no clue. They were familiar with her as the Jazimin family were regular customers. The exhausted Jazimin finally trudged over to the local police station to lodge a report about his missing daughter. It was already 3 a.m. in the morning; approximately 7 hours since the abduction had taken place. The kidnapper had a head start. In Malaysia, the standard procedure for a missing person’s report is the standard 24-hours wait. That is for missing adults. However, it is uncertain if the wait applies to missing children as well. If it is, then it is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately to prevent dire consequences. Parents need to know how soon they should approach the police for help. At present, there is an increasing public pressure for an immediate alert response to take place when a child goes missing.

According to a recent report, precisely 6,240 missing children and teenagers have been reported since January 2004. Only 67% of them have returned safely. There have been 34 cases of children below the age of nine filed missing between January and July this year. 17 of them have been recovered. Half of them are runaways. A number of them are parental kidnappings, common in messy divorces or separations.

But a stranger abduction case is the most alarming. While it is not a common occurrence, representing only half of the smaller percentage of missing children cases per year, it is usually the more likely to be fatal. Most of the missing children are female. There have been too many cases of these victims being sexually assaulted of late. In 2004, a 10-year old girl, Harirawati, was raped and murdered in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Not two weeks later, Nurul Huda Abdul Ghani, also 10, was raped and murdered in Johor. It was reported that not long ago, around July 2007, two girls aged five and six respectively were abducted and molested in the Kampung Baru area in separate events, not too far from Wangsa Maju.

In the event of a stranger abduction the very first 24 hours is the most crucial when a child goes missing. The next 24 hours is highly critical. The odds of a child’s survival greatly decreases every hour. In the United States of America, studies have estimated that 74% of children who are kidnapped and later found murdered are killed within the first three hours after being taken.

In Nurin’s case, it was most likely a crime of opportunity. It was not because her parents were consciously negligent. It was just pure bad luck that Nurin chose to brave that very night out alone for the first time, unaware that a predator was on the hunt for a potential victim close by.

Her disappearance made its way into the local newspapers. It hardly made headlines on the front-page news. A week later her mother, Norazian, tearfully appealed to the press for the first time for help locating her missing daughter. By now, the police officially classified the case as “kidnapping”.

The very next day, the little eyewitness stepped forward with her information. She had seen Nurin being persuaded by an unknown man to follow him, before being dragged and bundled into his white van. She even overheard Nurin saying “No!” repeatedly to the perpetrator. The case finally heated up. A large-scale search operation was organized to locate the missing girl in the areas of Wangsa Maju, Sentul, Kepong, Jinjang and Setapak. About 300 people, ranging from police officers, RELA members, City Hall personnel and Rukun Tetangga (the Neighbourhood Watch) volunteered.

Their search turned up nothing.

Nurin’s parents were in despair. Her disappearance was not the only thing that was worrying, it was the state of her health that they were concerned with as well. Nurin suffered from kidney problems and high blood pressure. The missing child required daily medical attention. She needed to return home.

By now, the snapshot of the smiling Nurin Jazlin Jazimin published nationwide to help aid the search has become a very familiar image with Malaysians. Her case finally became news priority and was highly publicized by then. Pamphlets with Nurin’s descriptions were distributed to the public, including foreigners, urging them to keep a lookout for her. Sensitive members of the public rang up the parents to offer their sympathies. There were also crank callers that hurled abuses and harsh criticisms towards them through text messages and phone calls, accusing them of being poor parents. Some were in the form of sick and tasteless pranks. Despite all these, Nurin’s parents continued to will themselves to remain strong. They waited patiently for any news regarding their beloved child. The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, continued to appeal to the public for any assistance and useful information. The police were running out of leads. Rewards for information were offered and increased nearly every week.

Unfortunately, this case offered no happy ending. The pleas of her parents for Nurin’s safe return went unheeded. No one else stepped forward offering any information. There was a tip off from a female caller that insisted she had spotted Nurin near Seremban, but it was dismissed as false information.

On September 17th, a company supervisor in Petaling Jaya stumbled across a large Diadora sports bag outside the company premises when she came to open the store. It was Monday morning. She initially thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from a trip. But when the general manager of the company arrived 30 minutes later, it was discovered that the bag did not belong to him. Upon opening the bag to search for identification or clues to the owner, to his horror, he found a body within. He immediately alerted the police.

What followed next was a series of media circus.

The body in the bag was a female child, aged between 6 and 8. She had been sexually-assaulted and strangled. Reports confirmed that she died approximately 6 hours prior to being transported to the “dump site”. Nurin’s parents were alerted immediately. They rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for the identification procedure, barely able to brace themselves for the impending nightmare. Due to severe physical changes on the body caused by trauma, the husband and wife were unable to recognize her. They did not think it was Nurin. The body was initially presumed to be of a foreign child.

But the subsequent DNA testing proved that the body in the morgue was indeed their child. By 8 o’clock on Thursday, the story made headlines on the evening news on TV. What was worse, the media blatantly accused the parents of refusing to accept the DNA test results. It was a great shock for Jazimin and his wife when the news came on. They were not informed of any forensics testing results, yet there it was, already announced nationwide. Due to misleading reports, there were public speculations that he was orchestrating a “conspiracy” to cover up his daughter’s death. Later, they met up with the police again to find out about the DNA test and affirm it.

The grieving couple could hardly believe it. The body was indeed their daughter. The DNA result was damning. What made it even worse was they failed to prioritise the parents with the results. Due to gross oversight, the media learned the results beforehand. The damage was done.

The following Friday morning found the couple again in the national eye storm. Jazimin and his family returned to the hospital to claim their daughter’s remains for burial. Waiting for them was a large crowd of people and the press, hungry for the unfolding drama. The public’s eye continued to follow them, from the funeral prayers to the burial rituals of the late Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.

“We’ve tried,” Jazimin said to his wife as they tearfully bid their final farewells to their daughter.

Nurin’s death sparked a nationwide outrage. Horrified parents shared the sentiments, horror and sympathy. A large number of Malaysians blogged on the Internet to express their feelings of anger and disappointment over Nurin’s ill-fated demise. Suspects were detained but dismissed when the police could not establish any solid links between them and the victim. Potential witnesses were questioned, but they were unable to volunteer any useful leads. The local authorities sought help from America’s well known law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), to help enhance and examine a CCTV footage they had recovered from the premises of the store where Nurin’s body was found. Malaysian police are not well equipped with modern digital forensics techniques. They were hopeful that footage may contain vital information about the perp that dumped the body. In America, any kidnapping case is automatically considered a federal crime and will be handled by the FBI immediately. The FBI has a long vast experience in handling child abduction cases in America, starting with the fatal Lindbergh baby kidnapping in 1932 to the infamous slaying of Amber Hagerman. Amber Hagerman’s demise, whose abduction and subsequent sexual-assault-cum-murder in 1996, inspired the Amber Alert emergency broadcasting system as an immediate counter-measurement to child abductors and predators in the event of stranger abductions. Currently, there is an ongoing online campaign by bloggers to introduce such procedure in Malaysia as well, aptly named “NURIN Alert” (also an acronym for Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network). The legislation for NURIN Alert is still pending for proposal and assessment.

In the meantime, Nurin’s parents had to deal with one blow after another. It was announced that they may be charged with parental negligence - Nurin’s abduction and death somehow was their fault. Nurin’s post mortem photos were leaked to the public via e-mail circulations by an irresponsible party. However, recent development has confirmed that the person responsible for the leakage is already in custody. Public outcry for justice continues.

There are several critical points to be examined from the Nurin tragedy. By far, it is the most controversial missing child case in Malaysia in recent years. The efficiency of local police work, media ethics, political and public sensitivity is indeed questionable. The media obviously lacked sensitivity when they over-sensationalized the case. News reports of the murder described every minute detail of Nurin’s mutilations. However, the point that begs reflection is - how and why did the media obtain knowledge the DNA result before Nurin’s parents did? It was sheer irresponsibility of both the authorities and the media.

Then there are debates regarding the police work. Did they take too long to take long to start mobilizing themselves to investigate Nurin’s disappearance? While it is understood that the majority of the missing children are runaways, perhaps this case could offer a valid cause for them to reassess on how they could respond to future missing children cases in the event of a stranger abduction. With the Nurin Alert campaign going on, it is hopeful that this could change the outlook of police work regarding missing children. However, the blame should not lie entirely with the police force. The public needs to be educated as well on how to respond when a child goes missing, because every precious minute counts during an abduction case. Investigations will be more productive when the public and the police are able to work together.

The controversial charge of Nurin’s parents for parental negligence was another shocking headline. Under the Child Protection Act, parental negligence is an offence. However, due to the circumstances that this was a stranger abduction case, it is still an ongoing debate regarding the matter and the rationality behind it, and whether it is fair to charge Jazimin and wife for negligence.

The general consensus is that these parties have failed Jazimin and his family during the unfolding of the traumatic events. Police work slowed down due to much unneeded public interferences, media sensationalism and political play-by-play. The added annoyance of the photo leaks did not help the investigations at all.

There is a demand for proper studies and research in missing children and missing person cases, sex crimes and paedophilia in Malaysia. There is also an increased pressure for sex-offenders list to be made accessible to the public. A nationwide awareness certainly needs to be increased in order to understand sex crimes and why they occur. The myths and common perceptions that the victims and their families are to be blamed in these events are disturbing and have gone on for far too long. The appalling crank calls that Jazimin’s family received during the investigations very much exposed how Malaysians need to understand about the reality of things. The common perception that “murder and kidnapping happen regularly”, the self-righteous nuance that “the parents have sinned” and the political insinuation that “Nurin’s case is just media’s diversion tactic” are also a sad reflection of a thriving negative and shallow mentality that should be done away with. In fact, the Nurin case should serve as a wake-up call on how much the society has changed, and how much we need to change ourselves to deal with the issues at hand.

It was announced recently that the government will invest billions of ringgit to modernize police equipment. While this is welcoming news, the focal point should also be emphasized more on police professionalism and incidence response alert. They may also need to re-examine their relationship with the media regarding details concerning an ongoing investigation and post-mortem reports.

Parents should also be notified with guidelines on what to do in the event of a child abduction. Most parents are in dilemma about the “24-hours wait”, and this issue needs to be addressed immediately. Every second is crucial in ensuring a child’s odds of survival. A parent should be encouraged that it is all right to approach the police immediately when a child goes missing, without fearing accusations of over-reaction. However, this matter still needs to be assessed carefully as a lot of things need to be taken into consideration, such the state of urgency and if the child is genuinely missing to avoid unnecessary panic. An awareness campaign could help address the issue.

Recent development suggests that there are possible connections between Nurin’s case and the notorious “Kampung Baru Molester”, who lured, kidnapped and molested the two little girls under the pretext of helping him search for his missing cat in July. This is not an uncommon tactic for a child molester when preying on their victims. As of now, the molester is yet to be caught and questioned.

“When they (the police) find him, I want to look into his eyes,” Jazimin said. “I want to look at the face of the man who killed my daughter. I want to see what kind of person he is.”

At present, Nurin’s murder remains an open investigation. The police are convinced that they will find a lead. It’s just a matter of time, good old police work and patience. Jazimin, his wife and his family and relatives are still hopeful that the police will apprehend the person responsible. They are hoping that justice will prevail.

They pray for it.

© Diagnosis Crime, 2007

Sources:

Hamid, R. A, 2007. Child found sexually assaulted and killed, [Online]. Available at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/18/nation/18914532&sec=nation (The Star Online) [accessed 18 September 2007).

Bernama, 2007. Nurin’s murder: chronology of events, [Online]. Available at: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/20070928181355/Article/index_html (NST Online) [accessed 28 September 2007).

Tembam. 2007. Concerned citizens can form a “Nurin Alert”-type lookout too!, [Online]. Available at: http://tembam.wordpress.com/2007/09/30/concerned-citizens-can-form-a-nurin-alert-type-lookout-too/ Tembam’s Weblog), [accessed: 2 October 2007].

Jasni, A. J. 2007. What happened today (an original article by the host blogger), [Online]. Available at: http://nurinjazlin.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-happened-today.html (nurinjazlin.blogspot.com), [accessed 14 October 2007).

2007. When your child is missing: a family survival guide, [Online]. Available at: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/childismissing/ch1.html (The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention), [accessed 12 November 2007].

Abdul Kadir, R. and Kumar, S. A. 2007. 319 budak masih hilang, [Online]. Available at: http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2007&dt=0923&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_04.htm (Utusan Malaysia Online), [accessed: 12 November 2007].

Petra, R. 2007. Parental negligent and child abuse is real, [Online]. Available at: http://www.malaysia-today.net/blog2006/index.php?itemid=8556 (Malaysia Today), [accessed 14 November 2007].

March On Nurin Alert! March ON!

Earlier this week we had our Citizens for Nurin Alert ("CFNA") Committee Meeting. As just like other Committee Meetings, ours had several agendas tabled and deliberated as well.

While I don't plan to disclose the whole minutes of the proceedings to the public at this juncture, I would think furnishing the gist of the meeting would be informative especially to all those who have registered as CFNA friends.

First, the composition of the Committee. After working for slightly more than a month "designationless", the Committee Members have now been given suitably designations each. We now have a Chair, a Deputy Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer and various exco members. Soon, the Committee would also be expanded to include representatives from the Chinese and Indian communities as well as for the Sabah/Sarawak/Labuan region.

The Committee's full list would be disclosed upon it being finalised by the Committee in their next sitting.

We have also decided to encourage communication from among CFNA members and with the Committee via a forum like network. Due to logistical constraints, the idea to hold a "general meeting" to host all CFNA members has been shelved.

The www.nurinalert.org will be brought to life soon. Its basic contents have been agreed upon and it is now just a matter of time for the "construction" of the website to be completed.

Reviews of the achivements made so far were also made, most of them are already in public knowledge, i.e. the submission of the draft paper on Nurin Alert, the coverage it got from the mass media, including TV, talk sessions etc.

Coming up next will be meetings after meetings with the various parties to push for the adoption of Nurin Alert, including meetings planned with an organisation who has stated its interest to help set up a pilot Nurin Alert Centre. More publicity campaigns are in store as well.

Publicity after publicity, CFNA now has no alternative other than continually working towards the adoption of Nurin Alert mechanism without further ado.

March on Nurin Alert! March On!

Jasni AJ

First Tell, now Mastika

I went out to the nearest newstand during lunch time just now, just to see whether the latest issue of Tell was on sale there. Not finding it there, I found this other magazine, Mastika instead.

The December issue of Mastika has three interesting articles on the Nurin tragedy.

First there is this article "Ini Bukan kali Pertama!" written by Shamran Sarahan tracking the almost similar modus operandi incidents that took place in Kampung Baru.

Next, there's "Saya Kesal tak dapat selamatkan Nurin" depicting Dr. Sazali Ahmad's experience in finding the then missing Nurin using his mind theraphy method.

And lastly, "Saya tidak boleh lelapkan mata", a personal entry by Jazimin himself.

All three articles are indeed interesting readings, the one written by Jazimen is rather sentimental and though short it is capable of bringing tears to the eyes.

"Ini Bukan kali Pertama" is at long last reveals the Kampung Baru incidents that serve us as a reminder that Nurin's is not an isolated and strange case as it has happened before, not once but at least twice - of that which were reported to the Police. The perpertrator(s) must be caught fast before another report be filed in.

As for Dr. Sazali's article, yes, he did try his best. Thank you Dr. Sazali.

Back to where to get the latest issue of Tell, well I guess you would have to visit the more established book stores in the country as the roadside newstands do not seem be carrying the magazine on their shelves.

Jasni AJ

Promoting Nurin Alert

Not that as if I'm doing a marketing job for it or that as if I'm beneficiary to any commission over its sales, but the latest issue of Tell Magazine is simply a must have "booklet" for anyone interested to learn more about what Nurin Alert is all about.

Dedicating 24 pages (or 17.7%) out of the total content of the magazine (after minusing all the advertisement pages) to Nurin Alert and its related stories, the latest issue of Tell Magazine is practically and as if the mouthpiece of the initiators of Nurin Alert in disseminating the whole idea of Nurin Alert to the masses.

Starting from the cover page with a collage of Nurin made of pictures of missing children around the world, which is to me very creative indeed, Nurin Jazlin and Nurin Alert are the main theme of the magazine right from the editorial page.

An article by Nuraina follows next giving glimpses of how Amber Alert is being implemented in the States, what Nurin parents' had to go through in finding their then missing child, other previous similar incidents, the formation of "Citizens for Nurin Alert", the roundtable discussion with Datuk Seri Shahrizat, the proposed Nurin Alert initiative, similar Alert mechanisms elsewhere and comments of Raja Zarith Sofia.

Next we have a page focusing on the unending tragedies after Nurin i.e. Preesheena's and Kha Man's.

And article on the life of the family after Nurin, complete with a family portrait is also there.

And almost as a centrepage, there is this "verbatim minutes" of the roundtable discussion with the Minister - letting everyone know what had transpired.

Other articles that also touches on Nurin Jazlin and Nurin Alert subject matters are Waht's Up by Wahti and Rocky's Bru by Rocky of course.

Try getting hold of a copy today, I'm pretty sure you won't be regretting it.

By the way, there are lots of other interesting articles and nice pictures too in the magazine, get one and find out more.

Before signing off - I have to repeat that the suggestion for you to get a copy of the magazine is not about marketing or promoting the magazine - it's all about informing you that there is this magazine which has done Nurin Alert a big favour by promoting it thus helping the CFNA (Citizens for Nurin Alert)grouping in their effort of pushing the idea on Nurin Alert through untirelessly.

Thank you Tell.

Thank you All.

Good Night & Assalamulaikum.

Jasni AJ

It has been 90 days since

90 days since. Yes, it has been 90 days when Nurin was abducted by someone, someone until today nobody knows whom.

90 days since. Yes, it has been 90 days when Nurin was hidden somewhere, somewhere until today nobody knows where.

While we patiently wait for some positive developments, the revelation in the august parliament house today does not bring much hope that the long, long wait would ever be fruitful in the near future.

While the police (with the assistance from the FBI) have publicly declared that till date they have not been able to extract the motorcycle number plates from the video footage due to technical factors, i.e. due to the poor visual, one must have also wonder how the perpetrator(s) managed to execute his(their) crime undetected; before, during and after!

However, notwithstanding the latest revelation, the family remained steadfast in their believe that the police have done and still are doing their best ever investigation works in attempting to unturn the mysterious stone that could reveal, catch and punish the perpetrator(s) soon, InsyaAllah.

The perpetrator(s) must be identified, and not only that, it (they) must be punished to serve as a lesson to the would be like-minded criminals of the future.

The world don't need them, the sooner we get rid of them, the safer the world would be. The longer they are allowed to roam about freely, the bolder they will get. And our children will be as good as trapped in a world, an extremely dangerous world. There will be no more adventures for them, certainly not at the playgrounds or the dreadful pasar malams! In fact, it is not even safe be at home, remember Preeshena!

We also are patiently waiting on the charge (or charges) to be made on the identified culprit who leaked and distributed Nurin autopsy pictures. According to the police, they have completed their investigation and the papers are now with the Public Prosecutor's Office. We wonder what's holding them up?

The 100th day is now fast approaching, let's pray that we can have something by then.

Jasni AJ

Kes Nurin: FBI gagal kesan nombor plat motosikal

KUALA LUMPUR: Biro Siasatan Persekutuan (FBI) Amerika Syarikat juga gagal untuk meningkatkan kualiti rakaman kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) berhubung kes pembunuhan Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, Dewan Rakyat diberitahu.

Timbalan Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri, Datuk Mohd Johari Bahrum berkata FBI gagal mengesan nombor pendaftaran motosikal yang dinaiki seorang lelaki yang dilihat dalam rakaman itu.

"Kita telah minta kerjasama FBI untuk membuat penilaian daripada gambar CCTV itu, namun masih tidak dapat kesan nombor plat motosikal berkenaan," katanya menjawab soalan Datuk Mohd Razali Che Mamat (BN-Kuala Krai).

Mohd Razali ingin tahu perkembangan terbaru kes pembunuhan kanak-kanak berumur lapan tahun itu yang dilaporkan hilang pada 20 Ogos lalu dan kemudian dijumpai mati pada 17Sept.

Antara segmen rakaman CCTV itu menunjukkan imej seorang lelaki menaiki motosikal jenis Modenas Kriss dengan membawa sebuah beg sukan berlegar-legar di luar bangunan kedai tiga tingkat di Petaling Jaya pada 16 Sept lepas.

Lelaki itu kemudian mengangkat beg itu dari motosikalnya dan meninggalkannya di tepi tangga tingkat bawah premis itu sebelum beredar dari situ.

Mohd Johari berkata polis masih meneruskan usaha untuk mengesan lelaki tersebut dan berharap orang ramai dapat membantu memberi maklumat.

- BERNAMA

Beating child abuse

By : SARAH SABARATNAM

Violence against children is on the rise. SARAH SABARATNAM tackles the topic of how to put a halt to the crimes.

WHEN a child dies of severe physical abuse or a young girl is brutally raped and murdered — as in the case of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin — it is bound to make headlines.

The uproar is immediate, but eventually everything is back to normal, and we forget the many children who routinely face violence.Everyday, at some corner in this country, under a tent or a roof or in a patch of grass, an adult unleashes his explosive, brutal, savage self on a powerless toddler.

And what defence can the feeble child muster? Between January and July this year, statistics from the police showed that 116 children between the ages of one and seven were physically abused.

Another 37 were just babies, not yet reaching their first birthday.

Precious, innocent lives are being ravaged and rampaged by people who should know better; 50 of this year’s offenders were parents of the victims.

The number of reported sexual crimes against children below the age of 18 is even more horrifying.

Last year, there were 269 cases of incest, 876 cases of modesty being outraged, 122 cases of sodomy and 1,708 cases of statutory rape against children below the age of 18.

Such violence leaves physical, emotional and psychological scars with severe implications for a child’s development, health and ability to learn.

This is why The World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, commemorated all over the world today, is of great significance. It is a time to mull, chew and contemplate on how effective we have been in preventing abusive crimes against children. “It is a situation that can become normal in our lives,” says James Nayagam, executive director for Shelter, a registered welfare organisation that helps abused, abandoned, neglected or at-risk children.

“In light of the gruesome things that have happened recently, there is a lot of concern and we need to take stock of what we are doing and what we need to do. It is time to consolidate, to see how effective we are in dealing with this violence.”

Nayagam says there have been glaring warning signs that people are getting more violent. After Nurin’s cruel murder, there was a realisation that the Child Act had not been fully implemented and that there was a need for a Child Protection Policy. “In typical Malaysian manner, we only take action when something happens.

Only after people die tragically are issues raised.” Shaking his head, he mutters, “somewhere along the line, we are not committed enough.” He laments that there is not enough finances to improve the system, be it protecting abused children, admitting them (abused children) into hospitals, raising awareness, stepping up police investigation and providing recreational and communal facilities in lower income neighbourhoods. He also wishes that there is a continuity in the handling of issues at the ministerial level when there is a changing of the guards.

“We are still discussing the same issues about children that we were talking about 20years ago. The dialogue must go on, only then can there be progress.”

Last year, the UN General Assembly was told that the best way to deal with violence against children is to stop it before it happens. Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert appointed to lead the United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children said: “Everyone has a role to play in this, but countries must take the primary responsibility. That means prohibiting all kinds of violence against children, wherever it occurs and whoever is the perpetrator, and investing in prevention programmes to address the underlying causes.

People must be held accountable for their actions but a strong legal framework is not only about sanctions; it is about sending a robust, unequivocal signal that society will not accept violence against children.”

Yes, today is a day to take stock.The ever increasing statistics suggest that we are lagging behind in efforts to protect children from violence. “As we climb the mountain of a problem, there has to be stations where we have a review of the laws and its workability,” says Nayagam. “Are we on track?”

- New Straits Times

Protection for children : In Sweden, they listen and act on it

By ABDUL RAZAK AHMAD

Could the rape and murder of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin be the tipping point towards better protection for our kids? ABDUL RAZAK AHMAD went to the country that leads the global rankings on children's rights in search of practical solutions.

IT would seem strange that a very developed nation like Sweden could, just a few decades ago, have been a country grappling with a challenge quite similar to what Malaysia now faces when it comes to protecting children.

But mention the horrific case of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin to child rights campaigners in the Nordic country, and the response isn't empathy, but a shared sorrow.

It's something they all say they've been through as well.

This year, Sweden topped a United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) study that measured children's material well-being, health, safety, behaviour and risk.

It's a success driven by many factors, one of which was a very tragic incident.
The circumstances were different, but the horror and outcome were the same.
In 1971, a 4-year-old girl was beaten to death by her stepfather. She had been abused since she was 8 months old. The neighbours knew, but did little until it was too late.

It was the first widely reported case of such severity in the country. It led to a public outcry that galvanised the Swedish government to further develop systemic safeguards to protect children and promote their rights.

One practical measure set up in the immediate aftermath of that case was a non-governmental organisation called Children's Rights in Society, or Bris.

"People were shocked, and we were forced to acknowledge that despite our famous social welfare network, we tended to keep family problems behind closed doors," said Bris secretary-general Goran Harnesk.

Based in Stockholm, Bris, among other things, runs a telephone help line for kids who call in for advice or help on any issue.

Volunteers man the lines between 3pm and 9pm daily. All the children who call in are guaranteed confidentiality.

Bris gets up to 300 calls every day. The most common problems are bullying, family problems and exam pressure.

"Our job is to listen and give advice. We also encourage them to go to someone they can trust in their family," said Harnesk.

If that doesn't work, or if the complaint is serious, the caller is referred to specialist counsellors.

The calls are compiled into a database to chart statistics on the kinds of problems that children face to provide planners with input on what to do.
But the main aim of the help line is still a very practical one -- to identify potential problems as early as possible before it leads to cases of outright abuse or suicide.

What's also interesting is the change being introduced on how the police investigate when abuse does occur.

In the past, children had to have their statements recorded and processed at the police station, not the friendliest environment for kids.

Two years ago, Stockholm set up a Children's Centre -- a special police station just for kids.

In cases where day care centre staff or teachers overhear or suspect that a child had been abused by parents, the police are notified.

A plainclothes officer, along with a state-appointed lawyer to represent the child, and the teacher accompanies the child to the centre.

There, a social worker and a child mental health expert will join in to interview the child, with cameras recording the statement in an environment designed to look like a day care centre.

A doctor is also on standby to check for signs of physical or sexual abuse. The examination room has no intimidating metal tables. Doctors are told not to wear their white lab coats.

"It's all geared to help put the child at ease as much as possible," said social worker Margareta Moberg.

This set-up, says police officer Patrik Lillieqvist, also helped to improve the speed and efficiency of investigations.

Last year, the centre handled 137 cases of physical abuse and 85 sexual abuse reports. The percentage of reports that land in court has gone up, from five per cent to 25 per cent.

Apart from specific measures, Sweden has also set up a body to champion their larger cause via a children's ombudsman, a government official appointed to investigate complaints by citizens against other officials or government agencies.

Lena Nyberg, Sweden's current ombudsman for children, was appointed by the government in 2001 to serve a six-year term.

Her top priority is to highlight and champion children's opinions and get them across to decision makers at both the local and national level.

She issues an annual report on the state of Sweden's children, using questionnaires and data culled from various sources.

To some, the idea of getting young children to air their views on how adults can make their lives better may seem laughable.

The list of concerns that Nyberg has unearthed from her constituents though has by no means been trivial.

The biggest issue is bullying. Her report on the problem led to a new law that compels teachers to alert the authorities and help a pupil when bullying occurs. Failure to do so will land the school with a fine.

The other major concern among children is the plight of kids with fathers serving time in prison.

"We noticed that a lot of young adult criminals had absent fathers with a criminal record.

"So we began looking at how prisons could provide inmates with better and positive contacts with their children," said Nyberg.

As a result, prisons in Sweden now have an officer whose job is to ease a child's access to his or her father in jail, by making it easier for the inmate to get phone calls, drawings, letters and other suitable forms of contact.

Nyberg is also quick though to point out the difficulties she faces in carrying out her duties.

"I represent children, but kids are not a powerful lobby group.

"It's difficult to get the decision makers to create space for children's perspectives amid so many political and lobbying interests."

When asked why Sweden seemed to have such a good track record of protecting children's rights nonetheless, Nyberg replied: "In a sense we've been lucky because we are a rich country, which means we can spare the resources needed, but listening to children doesn't mean you just hear them out. You have to act on their concerns."

It was perhaps apt that Bris regularly invites Sweden's famous celebrities to send in photos of when they were young, to be printed on the organisation's call cards.

The cards are a hit with kids with over 120,000 distributed annually. Each features the picture of a personality when they were young, and Bris' hotline numbers at the back.

"The message we want to get out to children is that they are not alone.

"We were all children once," said Harnesk.

THE SWEDISH EXAMPLES

• A dedicated telephone help line to cater to those under 18.
• A specialised help line could provide needed advice to children in distress, and identify and help kids solve problems such as feelings of alienation, bullying, abuse, or inability to cope with stress at an early stage.
• Separate "children's police station" to handle all reports involving minors such as physical and sexual abuse.
• A government appointed "children's spokesperson" to lobby and campaign for a children's perspective to be given a fair hearing by decision makers.
  

The writer's visit to Sweden was organised by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

- New Straits Times

Abused chilldren : Cause for concern

Nurin, Ying Ying, Preeshena, Jun Wei

By THO XIN YI

CHILDREN are a joy to most adults. To the parents in particular, they are precious little beings that give them hope when things are not going right, a reason to go on when all else seems hopelessly lost. They are just about everything to so many people everywhere.

Ooi Ying Ying
On July 8, police found some of this child's charred remains at a cemetery in Paya Terubong, Penang. On July 20, Ying Ying's mother Jess Teh was charged with lodging a false missing person's report, while her boyfriend Ong Chee Leong was charged with murdering Ying Ying on July 5.

Yet, the irony is that cases of abuse against minors are rampant. And, the sad truth is that the sadistic acts have become ever more violent and mind-boggling in recent years.

Take, for example, the stories of Shearwey Ooi Ying Ying, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin and Preeshena Varshiny. The manner in which they met their end is still fresh in the minds of most Malaysians.

Lau Jun Wei

A doctor in Taman University, Johor Baru, discovered that three-year-old Lau Jun Wei had injuries on the back of his head, bruises and branding marks all over his body as well as injuries to his genitals and rectum, when Jun Wei's lifeless body was brought to her in October last year. His mother Tan Chew Yan, 22, and her boyfriend, Lu Song Seng, 21, were charged in the Sessions Court later with causing his death.

Ying Ying, for instance, was murdered and her body, burnt. As if this was not enough, Ying Ying's bone fragments were then strewn in at least four different parts of Penang.

Nurin's case made the headlines when she was abducted from a night market near her home in Wangsa Maju. She was found a month later – her lifeless body stuffed in a sports bag.

While the nation was still reeling from Nurin's senseless death, another young girl was raped and sodomised in Selayang. Her torture did not stop there. Preeshena was then thrown down from the balcony of the condominium.

Nurin Jazlin Jazimin

Nurin Jazlin Jazimin went missing on Aug 20 and her naked body was found stuffed in a sports bag near a shoplot in Petaling Utama on Sept 20.

To these children, death came early. Others, however, go through life as if in a daze, living out their ordeal day and night in welfare centres far from home.
Why do such acts occur, one wonders. And, why do they have to be kids who can do no wrong to others?

“Children become victims of abuse because they are easy targets,'' said Malaysian Mental Health Association management committee member Dr Joseph Jacob.

“They are defenceless, especially when left alone.”

DSP Choo Lily, the officer-in-charge of D11 (Rape, Sexual and Child Abuse Cases Investigation Unit) was quite frank when she pointed out: “The public needs to be aware that the society is no longer as safe as we assume it to be.” As such, she urged adults to be even more cautious over their young charges.

It is time we stopped reading and merely talking about child abuse endlessly.

It is time we helped the victims move on in life.

It may be too late to help those who have died, but we can do something for those who have survived their ordeal.

They need to seek help fast

ADULTS who inflict pain on children need help.

“They need to identify what their problems are,” said Malaysian Mental Health Association management committee member Dr Joseph Jacob.

He said such adults abused children for a number of reasons. “One possibility is that they release the anger, depression or anxiety they face in life on defenceless human beings,” he added.

Dr Joseph said they would not take on their peers or superiors. “It's easier to channel one's emotions on children.” He suggested that if one had the tendency to harm children, they ought to seek professional help, fast.

“By identifying their underlying problems, we could help treat their problems such as depression, then help them make changes,” said the clinical psychiatrist. “More often than not, they themselves have been victims of abuse as children.''

The abused youngsters need help, too, he said. “The impact caused by abuse cannot be underestimated,” he added.

“The children may not remember or understand what had happened to them,” said Dr Joseph. “But the hidden memories may create other problems in their lives later.”

- Star Online

Hmmm, here I go again!

It has been a while since I last wrote or posted an original posting in this blog. Thanks to the news media, there have been stories after stories that I can always cut and paste as entries to the blog almost on a daily basis (except today of course!).

By having those articles pasted over, it has allowed fellow bloggers to give their piece of mind as well as their respective insights on the posted articles. Through the comments posted, we can see that the Nurin tragedy had not only affected the grieving family but everyone else as well and now everyone are determined to ensure and pursue for a safer environment, not only for the kids but for adults alike. Events after events, perhaps it would more politically correct to say, tragedies after tragedies, have proven that our surrounding has changed from what we used to have - safe and predictable, easy going surrounding to a surrounding that is extremely dangerous with monsters roaming and lurking everywhere and all over - waiting for opportunities to strike!

It was for this reason, I got attracted to go along with fellow bloggers to initiate the floating of the Nurin Alert idea - to create a safer environment via an effective search & rescue mechanism that acts as a deterrent to any eventualities of the like.

The Nurin Alert initiative went of with a bang. With a handful of novices (at least me), we met and agreed to work on this idea and have since then secured quite a number of mini achivements.

We invited bloggers to join in our Nurin Alert community, more than a hundred signed up. We prepared and submitted a draft concept paper on Nurin Alert to Shahrizat's Ministry, we were given assurance that the scheme would be incorporated into the proposed the Child Protection Plan. We appeared on a live TV show, with a few more air time in the pipeline. We got coverage in the local dailies, though not as much as we hoped for. We got invited to talk about Nurin Alert at talks, happening and starting next week, insyaAllah. We would be featured in a magazine, coming out very soon I was told. We got calls from various parties who wanted to help, from helping on creating contents for Nurin Alert's website, to information on how to incorporate telco facilities with Nurin Alert, and just recently to help in the formation of a Nurin Alert Centre.

Yes, all these developments are indeed overwhelming, and we are indeed very grateful and indebted.

The Committee for Nurin Alert, consisting of novices and part-timers, has to take things step by step. We need to have a very clear agenda and a path-line on where we are heading. Are we just to prepare a paper and wait for the authorities to execute it, or are we going to act as the pressure group to ensure the authorities execute the plan, or are we going to actually implement Nurin Alert on our own? And all these need proper planning and determination - and this is what we are doing. So eventhough Nurin Alert is still yet to be born, the Committee is very much alive, actively so.

There have been various public perceptions on the initiative. Some thought that Nurin Alert is already alive and kicking. Some thought we have already "cool down" (or "sejuk atas kertas"). Some thought we are too very slow. And of course, there are some who thought that we are doing a marvelous job.

Especially for all those who have signed up to be part of Citizen for Nurin Alert, please have a little bit of patience, we will indeed be furnishing you with the plan to move forward very soon now (I hope!).

With that note, I bid good night! See you tomorrow.

Jasni AJ

Polis masih siasat kes Nurin Jazlin

KUCHING 13 Nov. – Polis masih berusaha mengesan individu yang bertanggungjawab dalam pembunuhan kejam kanak-kanak, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8, kata Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

‘‘Kes ini masih lagi dalam siasatan dan polis masih cuba mengesan penjenayah terbabit,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita semasa melawat Pusat Latihan Polis (Pulapol) Puncak Borneo dekat sini, hari ini.

Nurin ditemui dalam keadaan menyayat hati dalam sebuah beg di Taman Petaling Utama, Petaling Jaya pada September lalu, selepas usaha mencarinya yang hilang selama empat minggu menemui jalan buntu.

Tidak lama selepas itu, gambar bedah siasat Nurin disebarkan oleh individu yang tidak bertanggungjawab melalui internet dan khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS).

Mengulas penyebaran gambar bedah siasat Nurin tersebut, Musa berkata, siasatan mengenainya telah selesai dan kes itu kini diserahkan kepada Timbalan Pendakwa Raya (DPP).

- Utusan Malaysia Online

Foreign worker allegedly tries to pull girl, 5, into lift

The suspect being led away by a police officer. -- Pictures: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
Caught after angry dad tracks him down

By Elysa Chen

November 14, 2007

IT WAS a harmless game of hide and seek, and she was covering her eyes with one hand and counting down when she allegedly felt someone pulling her arm.

Her first thought was that one of her cousins was playing with her.

But when she lowered her hand, five-year-old Annie (not her real name) realised with a shock that the person standing next to her and holding her arm was not her cousin, but a foreign worker.

The foreign worker then allegedly tried to pull her towards the lift, but she put up a struggle.

Her cousins, who saw the incident, dashed home to get help from the adults.

BROKE FREE

In the meantime, Annie managed to break free from the man's grasp. He then left quickly.

The incident happened on Saturday evening when Annie and her cousins were playing in the eighth-storey corridor of an HDB block in Bishan, where they had gone to attend a wedding.

When Annie's father and other adults dashed out of the flat, they found Annie standing alone in the corridor.

Relief turned quickly to anger when Annie told her father what had happened.

Annie's father, a manager in his 40s, told The New Paper over the telephone yesterday: 'Why was he holding my daughter's hand? Nobody should touch anybody else's child. It is wrong, no matter what his intentions were.'

FEAR

'What would have happened if my nieces didn't see (the incident)? I was worried that it would have been a repeat of the case in Malaysia,' he added, referring to the case of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, whose body was found in a bag days after she went missing.

When asked what state Annie was in when he found her, her father declined to comment, saying the case was under police investigation and he did not want to complicate matters.

By the time the adults found her, the man was nowhere to be seen. Annie's father asked her what he looked like and then organised a search, dividing the people involved into teams.

Annie's father later spotted a man matching his daughter's description sitting at a pavilion near the void deck of the block where the incident happened.

He took Annie and her cousins to the pavilion to confirm that it was the same man who had tried to pull her into the lift.

When they said he was the man, Annie's father rushed up and confronted him. He said the suspect did not resist.

But when Annie's mother asked him why he had pulled Annie's arm, the suspect kept repeating that he had not done anything.

A relative then called the police.

According to Shin Min Daily News, when the police arrived, the suspect was sitting in the pavilion, with his face resting on the table.

A police spokesman said the suspect, a 25-year-old worker from India, has been released on bail.

The police are investigating this as a case of wrongful restraint.

- The Electric New Paper (Singapore)

‘Don’t reveal details’

By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

NURIN Jazlin’s father, Jazimin Abdul Jalil , has asked police not to reveal the details of their ongoing investigation.

He defended police action to keep mum, saying the culprit could be reading the newspapers and would know what the authorities are doing.

“He would escape the law and police would take more time to solve the case. Let them carry out their investigation.”

When told that police had said it was not practical for them to keep releasing statements on new information received, Jazimin agreed.

The former cabbie said the culprit would know the status of their investigation if every detail was in the Press. Jazimin said as long as police are still investigating the case and keeping him informed, it was not necessary for them to make the information public.

“The culprit will be caught and I want to know who he is.” Yesterday, The Malay Mail had reported that Jazimin had not lost faith in the police, despite the absence of any development in his daughter’s case.

Jazimin was quoted as saying that, at one point, when media suggested that police did not have any leads on the case, he was frustrated and dejected. After a recent meeting with a senior officer, he was confident that his daughter’s killer would be caught.

- The Malay Mail

HIGH-PROFILE MURDER PROBES : Police are still on it

By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

THE police gave an assurance yesterday that their investigation into the murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin is still ongoing.

Federal Criminal Investigations Department deputy chief (intelligence/operations) Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani stressed that the case is still open and police are looking into several leads.

In a statement faxed to The Malay Mail, he said that investigations into the murder of nine-year-old Preeshena Varshiny and other cases have never been closed. Acryl Sani issued the statement in response to reports in The Malay Mail yesterday, which highlighted calls by nongovernmental organisations and the public for regular updates on the cases from the police. Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak, was reported missing on Aug 20.

Her ravaged body was found in a sports bag near a flight of stairs at a three-storey building in Petaling Jaya Utama on Sept 17.

To date, no one has been charged in court in connection with her murder. Earlier this month, Preeshena was believed to have been raped, sodomised and thrown off the balcony of one of the units at a high-end condominium in Selayang.

In his statement, Acryl Sani said: “Police would also like to make it clear that although no statements were released of late on the developments of the investigations into these two cases (Nurin and Preeshena), it does not mean that the investigations have stopped.

“In fact, the task force set up to monitor Nurin’s case is still active and police are analysing information received from the public.”

Acryl Sani said it is not practical for police to keep on releasing statements every time new information is received.

“This does not mean that investigations have ceased and the victims forgotten,” he added.

Yesterday, The Malay Mail reported that the police’s silence of late on the progress of their investigations into the highprofi le murders had left the public and NGOs restless and worried.

NGOs felt that the public should be constantly updated.

They added that the apparent lack of updates would give criminals the impression that they can get away with murder.

- The Malay Mail

Kata Saya: Pindaan akta kanak-kanak biar berkesan

Oleh Norhayati Md Said
yatisaid@bharian.com.my

JENAYAH terhadap kanak-kanak semakin membimbangkan. Boleh dikatakan sejak beberapa bulan lalu ada saja kes jenayah seksual, selain kes jenayah lain terhadap kanak-kanak dilaporkan dan kelmarin seorang kanak-kanak berusia lima tahun dirogol. Kini polis sedang memburu seorang warga asing dipercayai terbabit kes berkenaan. Nasib baiklah seorang wanita ternampak perbuatan lelaki itu, jika tidak berterusanlah perbuatan terkutuk itu. Apalah kanak-kanak seusia itu tahu apa yang diperlakukan ke atasnya. Penganiayaan terhadap kanak-kanak nampaknya belum reda selepas apa yang berlaku terhadap Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8. Baru-baru ini, Preeshena Varshiny, berusia 9 tahun dipercayai dirogol dan diliwat sebelum dibunuh dan dicampak ke dalam longkang. Pada Aidilfitri lalu, niat baik seorang kanak-kanak yang mahu berhari raya di rumah jirannya turut menjadi mangsa rogol dan berikutan itu seorang lelaki didakwa di mahkamah. Ketika Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2007 yang berakhir kelmarin, Ketua Pemuda Selangor, Abdul Shukor Idrus mencadangkan subjek asas mempertahankan diri diajar kepada kanak-kanak supaya mereka mampu mempertahankan diri. Mungkin cadangan itu boleh dipertimbangkan, tetapi apalah tenaga kanak-kanak dibandingkan dengan perogol bernafsu ganas atau penjenayah lain. Mangsanya tetap juga kanak-kanak.

Pakar psikiatri berpendapat perbuatan jenayah ini dilakukan pesalah seks yang mengalami gangguan personaliti antisosial, menyebabkan mereka tidak mempunyai belas kasihan sehingga sanggup bertindak zalim. Pastinya kita tidak mahu lelaki seperti ini berkeliaran dalam masyarakat. Apa yang perlu dilakukan selain tindakan pihak berkuasa. Memang ada pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang menjalankan kegiatan memberi kesedaran kepada kanak-kanak mengenai jenayah ini, tetapi setakat satu atau dua NGO tanpa pembabitan menyeluruh masyarakat mungkin kurang memberi kesan. Daripada membuang masa mengadakan perhimpunan haram, demonstrasi atau apapun dipanggil yang kesannya lebih mudarat, mungkin lebih baik tenaga itu digembleng untuk membasmi jenayah ini. Semalam, isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah merasmikan sambutan Hari Kanak-Kanak Sedunia peringkat kebangsaan. Syukur Alhamdulillah pada majlis itu, Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil mengumumkan pindaan Akta Kanak-Kanak 2001 dijangka dibentang di Parlimen tidak lama lagi yang antara lain mewajibkan pegawai perubatan swasta, guru dan penjaga di bawah badan bukan sukarela melaporkan kes salah laku terhadap kanak-kanak. Tindakan itu sebagai usaha mencegah kejadian mengancam keselamatan kanak-kanak, terutama penderaan.

Ketika ini, akta itu hanya memperuntukkan kewajipan bagi pengasuh dan pegawai perubatan kerajaan membuat laporan penderaan terhadap kanak-kanak, termasuk penderaan fizikal, seksual, emosi, sumbang mahram dan kes buang bayi. Selepas kes Nurin Jazlin banyak cadangan dikemukakan sama ada kementerian berkenaan mahupun NGO terbabit dengan satu matlamat, membendung perbuatan jenayah kanak-kanak. Cadangan lain kementerian ialah individu yang pernah dipenjara atas kesalahan jenayah seksual terhadap kanak-kanak, diwajibkan memakai cip dan gelang khas selepas dibebaskan bagi membolehkan polis mengawasi pergerakannya. Sistem pengesan pelaku jenayah seksual itu antara elemen jaringan keselamatan bersepadu yang diperkenalkan Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat dengan kerjasama Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM). Maklumat penjenayah terbabit akan dipaparkan di internet dan orang ramai serta pihak berkuasa boleh merujuk laman web berkenaan. Selain itu, dicadangkan diwujudkan sistem amaran khas yang bertindak lebih pantas menyamai Amber Alert atau Nurin Alert bagi menangani kes kehilangan kanak-kanak. Kita berharap cadangan ini dan banyak lagi syor sebelum ini dilaksanakan segera bukan hanya terus menjadi tajuk perbincangan dan 'sejuk' di atas kertas.

- Berita Harian

More protection for children in the pipeline

By PAUL CHOO
KUALA LUMPUR: Private medical practitioners, teachers and caregivers will be required to report any wrongdoings against children under proposed amendments to the Child Act 2001 to be tabled in Parliament soon.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the move was aimed at curbing abuse and violence against children.

At present, only public medical practitioners and caretakers are mandated to report child abuse cases.

Speaking to reporters after attending the 53rd World Children’s Day celebration at KLCC yesterday, Shahrizat said there was an urgent need to focus on preventing child abuse.

“From 2004 to 2006, abuse cases have risen by more than 300, which encompass physical, sexual, emotional, incest and unwanted baby cases.

“These alarming statistics still do not include cases of children who have been killed,” she said.

She added that the “culture” of abuse that some people deem to be acceptable should be changed.

Shahrizat said the Government had drafted a Child Protection Policy as a guideline to be followed by all organisations dealing with children, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and even welfare organisations.

The policy includes abuse prevention programmes, response and reports on abuse and communication guidelines with children.

The celebration was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, who reminded parents to be mindful of their children at all times and show them the care they needed.

She asked participants to observe a moment of silence in memory of the tragic deaths of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, Ooi Ying Ying and Preeshena Varshiny.

More than 1,000 children attended the colourful event at the KLCC ballroom, which was filled with toys, racing car arcade games, balloons and clowns.

The highlight, however, was the awarding of the Hang Tuah medal to 11-year-old Muhammad Zulfahmi Zuraidi for saving his siblings during a house fire last year.

Later at Bakti’s Deepa-Raya luncheon for the less fortunate at a hotel in Subang Jaya, Jeanne said foundations, NGOs and people in general should come forward and show their love to the less fortunate instead of just donating money,

“Spend time with them. Shower them with love. Do not just give monetary contributions,” she said.

Bakti is the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

Among those also present from Bakti were Datin Seri Wendy Ong and Toh Puan Dr Aishah Ong.

- Star Online

Child Safety Never To Be Compromised

By Jeswan Kaur

KUALA LUMPUR, -- While the nations all over the world celebrate Children's Day every November, the children's fate seems to be a cause of concern of late especially in Malaysia.

Two months ago, the nation was shocked with the death of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. The girl was sexually ravaged and her naked body was found stuffed inside a sports bag left near a stairway of a shop house.

While the public outrage was just abating, the nation was again shocked by the news of the brutal rape and murder of nine-year old Preeshena Varshiny last Wednesday. Preeshena's body was dumped from the balcony of a condominium.

Nurin and Preeshena are among the many victims of child predators who are still free. Now safety of children has become a challenge with the authorities.

While the communities call for public spaces to be made safe for children, the non-governmental organisations have taken it upon themselves to educate the people on the issues of violence and safety. One of them is the women's group, All Women's Action Society (AWAM).

AWAM organised the Citizens Against Rape (CAR) campaign to raise awareness on the issue of safety. Although the task of creating safe spaces particularly for children remains as challenging as ever, AWAM has tirelessly been advocating for a violent free environment and safe spaces for the young.

COUNT CHILDREN IN

AWAM executive director Honey Tan Lay Ean said they have been going to schools, colleges and universities to talk about issues of violence and safety.

"We link these issues with human rights i.e. how violence violates our rights and the right to live, liberty and security of a person. This includes living with dignity and free from violence," she told Bernama.

One reflection of its commitment was its June 30, 2007 project called "Walk and Wheel: Uniting for Safe Spaces". The tagline was "Count Me In".

"Part of the project was for young people to take part in a school contest indicating how they would deal with various kinds of violence i.e. robbery, rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence.

"On October 6, AWAM held another project called "Unity for Safe Spaces: Children Count". The objective was to enable the public, especially the children to express their feelings on recent events of violence and abduction affecting children with Nurin being the latest in the long list of cases," said Tan.

She added that AWAM believes it takes teamwork to make public spaces safe, be it the homes or outside.

"We are focusing on what we, the police and the local councils can do to play our parts effectively. Public programmes are important because they help bring out specific issues, thus starting a process of change.

"While public programmes can be limited because it reaches out only to a limited number, they must be carried out often and in different localities. Here, funding becomes a key matter to bear in mind," Tan said.

DEAL WITH THE CORE ISSUE

Tan said violence, especially violence against women and girls would see a decrease if everyone started dealing with the more endemic issues of discrimination against women and gender inequality.

"These relate to gender-based-violence because when women are discriminated against, they are valued less and this lower status perpetuates violence against them, and often with impunity."

She pointed out that one of the more effective ways of dealing with issues of gender-based-violence is to change people's values and mindsets.

"This means accepting that girls and boys and women and men are to be valued equally and violence is not the way to deal with issues which arise in our everyday lives.

"There must be a concerted effort to reach out to boys and men so that they become more aware of how gender discrimination and inequality have impacted them too, although in a different manner."

She said boys and men also face the stereotyping that they have to be macho and aggressive and that violence is a good way to solve problems. This disables them from showing their caring, nurturing and compassionate side for fear of being labelled as "sissy" or "soft".

MORE CAMPAIGNS TO RAISE AWARENESS

Tan said on November 24, AWAM would organise a workshop for young women and men on issues of gender-based-violence in Kuala Lumpur.

"This will be in relation to the White Ribbon Campaign on November 25. And November 25 also marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism on Violence Against Women, culminating in the Human Rights Day on December 10."

She said AWAM also has on-going programmes in Kuantan, Batu Pahat, Johor Baharu and Melaka.

"We will conduct more workshops but the highlight will be the 'Girl Power Camp' which will be held for girls in the 13 to 17 age group. AWAM aims to empower them by raising their gender awareness and teaching them some basic self-defence skills," Tan said.

-- BERNAMA

Children need adult supervision

Preeshena

Tuesday November 6, 2007

FIRST it was Nurin who was brutally murdered and sodomised. Now another young girl has suffered the same fate. She was snatched from the safety of her condominium and was killed in a brutal way. (The Star, Nov 5).

Children make good targets for adults, as they are unable to resist the raging hormones of mentally sick people who pick on them because they are considered easy prey.

A good lesson to learn from this sad episode is no matter what, we cannot leave our young ones at home to their own devises without an adult minder taking care of them.

With both parents working and finding good maids difficult, most parents are left with no choice but to leave their young ones without adult supervision.

We are living in a dangerous world today and children need to be protected all the time by adults, as danger lurks around every corner.


HAMDAN IBRAHIM,
Kuala Lumpur.

- Star Online

24 jam lambat

Oleh AHMAD NAZRI MOHAMAD

Prosedur siasatan polis mengenai kes kanak-kanak hilang

KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, menyifatkan prosedur siasatan selepas 24 jam laporan polis dibuat bagi kes kehilangan kanak-kanak sebagai terlalu lambat bertindak.

Oleh itu, kementerian merangka satu mekanisma khusus mirip Amber Alert atau Nurin Alert bagi menangani segera kes kehilangan kanak-kanak untuk dimuatkan dalam Polisi Perlindungan Kanak-kanak (CPP) yang akan dibentang di Kabinet tidak lama lagi.

Amber Alert ialah mekanisma rangkaian integrasi maklumat ditubuhkan hasil kerjasama agensi kerajaan, orang ramai, pihak swasta dan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan sebagai satu sistem amaran ketika menghadapi kes kehilangan kanak-kanak di Amerika Syarikat.

Manakala Nurin Alert atau singkatan daripada Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network (Rangkaian Maklumat Tindak Balas Segera Kebangsaan) kini diusahakan kumpulan aktivis yang bersimpati dengan mangsa penculikan dan pembunuhan kejam, adik Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8.

Shahrizat berkata, pihaknya sedar tempoh 24 jam yang diberi polis bagi kes orang hilang terlalu lambat untuk bertindak, menyebabkan keperluan pada satu mekanisma untuk memberi amaran atau mengesan segera bagi kes kanak-kanak hilang.

Menurutnya, kertas cadangan CPP yang turut memuatkan usaha mewujudkan sebuah mekanisma khas bagi menangani kes kehilangan kanak-kanak kini di peringkat draf terakhir sebelum dibentang pada mesyuarat Kabinet tidak lama lagi.

- Harian Metro

Dad regrets leaving her at home alone

By Rahman Daros

“MY only mistake was that I left her alone at home. Now I regret what had happened.”

This came from the 40-yearold father of Preeshena Varshiny, whose body was found sprawled on the ground fl oor of up-market Casa Mila Tower Condominium in Jalan Bukit Idaman 3/1, Selayang, last Thursday.

The nine-year-old pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan St Mary in Selayang, is believed to have been brutally raped and sodomised before she was thrown from a balcony by her assailant.

She was clad in a blue T-shirt and a pair of shorts when she was found by a condominium security guard at 4pm. The keys to her apartment were found near her. Her father, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his daughter had been left home alone since last month after his wife found a new job.

“We had planned to transfer her to another school in Kepong next year as it is nearer to my brother’s house in Taman Ehsan but it is too late,” said the marketing and technical manager of a security equipment company.

He said his wife had just started working again after being a housewife for two years.

“We needed more money as our children are growing. But I never thought it would lead to this,” he said. He said they bought new Deepavali clothes for Preeshena last week and she liked them very much.

“We had planned to go shopping together last Saturday. We don’t celebrate Deepavali, but my parents do. It saddens me that she didn’t get the chance to wear the clothes,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes. He said he believed the suspect is familiar with the area.

“Whoever killed my daughter must have been monitoring what she did, what time she arrived home from school and what time I came home,” he said. He said he did not have any enemies.

“Now, I don’t trust anyone,” he said. Checks at the condominium yesterday revealed that it is not equipped with closed-circuit television cameras, except at the entrance.

“I moved here about two and a half years ago because of its security. It’s a gated community with guards all around,” he said.

He described her daughter as a hardworking child who would do house chores every day after returning from school at 1.30pm.

“She would fold the clothes and clean the house. She never complained. She was a hardworking girl,” he said. Preeshena’s 30-year-old mother, who also wanted to remain anonymous, wished that she had never taken the job.

“Now, I regret taking the new job as I had to leave her alone at home. We always taught her to be careful, especially after Nurin’s (Jazlin Jazimin) case.

“I told her what rape was all about, the improper touching by strangers and all the precautions. I’m sure she struggled with her killer as she was a tough girl,” she said. The security guard who was on duty on the day of the incident, said he did not hear anyone screaming on his watch.

“I only heard a loud sound, like something exploded. I thought one of the machines at the laundry shop on the ground floor had exploded, because it was so loud,” he said.

The guard, who also refused to be named, said he was told that four men, a security guard and four foreigners, in their 20s and 30s, were picked up on Friday night to facilitate investigations.

Gombak police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Abdullah said no arrests have been made. “We are still investigating,” he said.

It was reported that the victim’s apartment was locked and that there were no signs of forced entry.

Preeshena’s slippers were still in front of the door.

Police are also looking at the possibility that the victim had been taken to a vacant unit on the second floor where she was believed to have been attacked and murdered.

- The Malay Mail

Nurin Alert sistem pantas kesan budak hilang

Oleh Siti Nur Almizan Aripin

KUALA LUMPUR: Sistem amaran khas yang bertindak lebih pantas menyamai Amber Alert atau Nurin Alert bagi menangani kes kehilangan kanak-kanak adalah antara kandungan draf Dasar Perlindungan Kanak-kanak (CPP) yang akan dibentang pada Kabinet, tidak lama lagi.

Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, berkata sistem berkenaan dirangka berikutan banyak aduan dan cadangan diterima daripada pelbagai pihak selepas berlaku kejadian penculikan dan pembunuhan kejam terutama membabitkan kes Nurin.

Katanya, kementerian berusaha memperbaiki sistem keselamatan sedia ada dan menyifatkan prosedur siasatan selepas 24 jam laporan polis dibuat dalam kes kehilangan kanak-kanak adalah terlalu lambat dan perlu dipercepatkan.

Di Amerika Syarikat, Amber Alert ialah sistem amaran bagi mengesan kes kehilangan kanak-kanak berdasarkan rangkaian integrasi maklumat yang ditubuhkan dengan kerjasama agensi kerajaan, orang ramai dan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO).

Manakala Nurin Alert atau Nationwide Urgent Response Information Network (Rangkaian Maklumat Tindak Balas Segera Kebangsaan) adalah sistem amaran tempatan diusahakan penulis blog yang bersimpati dengan kematian Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, 8.

Shahrizat berkata, mengikut prosedur biasa, kes membabitkan kehilangan kanak-kanak masih di dalam bidang kuasa polis. Bagaimanapun, kementerian sedang berusaha memperbaiki sistem sedia ada.

"Kementerian berhasrat menjadikan mekanisme itu sebagai sistem khas atau alternatif dalam mengesan dan memberi amaran awal jika ada kes kanak-kanak hilang," katanya pada sidang media selepas Majlis Taklimat dan Penyampaian Cek kepada Pengerusi Nadi 2007, di sini semalam.

Beliau berkata, sistem itu sudah disertakan dalam kertas cadangan CPP yang kini berada pada peringkat terakhir sebelum dibentang pada mesyuarat Kabinet.

Sebelum itu, Shahrizat melancarkan Program Nadi 2007, sebuah jentera pembangunan sosial di peringkat akar umbi bertujuan menangani gejala sosial secara bersepadu dengan lebih berkesan.

"Nadi 2007 penting bagi memastikan pembangunan masyarakat Dasar Sosial Negara (DSN) menggunakan kaedah pemetaan sosial membabitkan 576 kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan 13 kawasan Parlimen," katanya.

Beliau turut menyampaikan taklimat dan peruntukan kepada setiap pengerusi Nadi sebanyak RM10,000 sebagai bantuan awal untuk setiap kawasan terbabit.

Sementara itu, Shahrizat turut memandang serius masalah dihadapi Siti Nadzirah Mohd Nasir, 20, ibu muda yang dalam proses mendapatkan hak penjagaan anaknya di mahkamah Pakistan.

"Wanita itu wajar mendapat pembelaan dan saya sendiri berhasrat mendengar sendiri masalah dihadapinya sebelum dapat menentukan jenis bantuan yang boleh diberikan," katanya.

Kelmarin, Siti Nadzirah melahirkan hasrat menemui Shahrizat selepas tiba dari Pakistan di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA).

Diminta mengulas kes kehilangan seorang budak perempuan yang dilarikan dua lelaki selepas melanggar dan melarikan kereta Toyota Unser milik ibunya ketika dalam perjalanan ke pusat asuhan di Taman Jasmin, Kajang pagi kelmarin, Shahrizat berkata, beliau bersyukur kerana kanak-kanak itu ditemui semula dalam keadaan selamat dua jam kemudian.

Dalam kejadian itu, Nursakinah Mohd Saparudin, 5, ditemui selamat di Stesen Komuter Kajang oleh seorang guru yang kebetulan ternampak sebuah Proton Perdana hitam meninggalkan mangsa di situ kira-kira jam 9 pagi.

- Berita Harian

Individual Who Distributed Nurin's Autopsy Pictures Identified

November 03, 2007 01:29 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The identity of the individual responsible for distributing the autopsy pictures of murdered Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, eight, has been identified and will be charged in court soon.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan who disclosed this Friday night, said the investigation had been completed.

"We have identified the person and he will be charged soon. We will inform the media when we are ready to charge him," he told reporters after a police Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Police Training Centre here.

He said the police could not provide more details on the individual as investigations into Nurin's murder case were still ongoing.

The autopsy pictures of Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak who went missing in August and whose dead body was found stuffed in a sports bag in the PJS area on Sept 20, were widely distributed through the Internet last month.

Meanwhile, on the suspension of Datuk Ramli Yusuff as the Commercial Crime Investigation director at Bukit Aman, Musa said it was a normal government procedure and police disciplinary action.

"Any civil servant who is charged in court will face the same action," he said, adding that the suspension would not affect the image of the police force.

When asked on Ramli's replacement, Musa said it was too early to decide and had not been discussed at any meeting.

In the Session's Court here Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Agency charged Ramli with three counts of failing to fully disclose his assets and unlawfulling engaging in business while being a public servant.

Ramli, 55, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was freed on bail of RM20,000 with one surety while waiting for his trial on Jan 15 next year.

-- BERNAMA