By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Alliance For A Safe Community Chairman
KOTA KINABALU: The increasing number of missing children is a serious concern that requires urgent and coordinated action.
Every missing child represents a potential tragedy, not only for the child but also for their family and the wider community.
While some cases involve runaways, others may be linked to abduction, trafficking, exploitation, or criminal activities.
Addressing this issue effectively demands a multifaceted approach involving parents, schools, law enforcement, and society as a whole.
Key Measures to Address the Issue:
Strengthening Preventive Measures
Parents and guardians must be vigilant in monitoring their children’s activities, both online and offline. Open communication between parents and children is vital.
Schools should conduct awareness programs to educate students about personal safety and the dangers of following strangers.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response
A centralised missing children database should be maintained and updated regularly to assist investigations.
The Amber Alert system should be strengthened to ensure rapid public notification when a child goes missing.
Law enforcement agencies must have specialised units to handle missing children cases with urgency and expertise.
Stricter Regulations on Child Exploitation and Trafficking
Stronger laws and enforcement against human trafficking and child exploitation must be prioritised.
Online safety measures should be enhanced to monitor and prevent online grooming, which often leads to child abduction.
Public Awareness and Community Engagement
The public must be encouraged to report suspicious activities or individuals who may pose a risk to children.
Collaboration between authorities, NGOs, and the media is essential to create greater awareness and to disseminate information quickly in missing child cases.
Improved Data Collection and Research
Comprehensive data on missing children cases should be collected to analyse patterns and identify high-risk factors.
Research on the root causes of children going missing—such as family issues, abuse, or exploitation—must guide policy changes.
The safety of our children must be a national priority. We urge the government, law enforcement agencies, schools, and the community to work together in implementing these measures.
Every missing child deserves our collective effort to ensure their safe return and to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
Let us take immediate and effective action to protect our children—because every child matters.
