KUCHING, Feb 24: An average of four children are reported missing each day in the country, according to statistics provided by the police in 2017, and most of the victims are aged between 13 and 15 years.
Last week, human rights group Tenaganita co-director Aegile Fernandez revealed that foreign paedophiles are targetting Malaysian children for the sex trade and that demand for sex is increasing.
It has also been reported that massive crackdowns on the child sex trade in Thailand and a few other countries have pressured child traffickers to find their prey in Malaysia.
Describing these developments as “worrying and frightening”, PKR National Women vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni remarked that the public need to be put on high alert on the infiltration of these heinous crimes into Malaysia.
She said the relevant authorities must step up efforts to protect children against paedophiles and child-sex traffickers.
“Child prostitution is a global problem but public awareness on the matter in our country has been all the while low as it is an issue that is not openly or comfortably discussed or talked about in families,” she said in a statement today.
“It is high time for us to be vocal on it and to register support for a fierce crackdown as soon as possible on child prostitution and kidnapping and to remove the comfort zone for the crimes to take roots here.
“The ministry concerned should declare war against the child sex trade and paedophiles must be strictly barred from entering Malaysia.” — DayakDaily
