JKM Rescues 20 Kids From ‘’Dirty’’ Penang Warehouse Centre
The children, aged between 15 days and 16 years old, were found living in unsanitary conditions.
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The Penang State Welfare Department (JKM) rescued 20 children, including a 15-day-old baby girl, from a warehouse and house in Bukit Mertajam on 21 July. A 20-year-old mother, believed to be the biological mother of the baby girl, was also rescued.
JKM and the police raided the premises after receiving several reports about suspicious activities in the area. According to Malay Mail, the properties became an unregistered learning centre and the children were left in an unsanitary environment.
The children, 10 boys and 10 girls aged between 15 days and 16 years old, were believed to have been deprived of basic needs such as food, clothing, and safe shelter.
State social development, welfare and non-Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Lim Siew Khim said the children and the woman were believed to be of various nationalities.
Lim added the children could converse in Mandarin but possessed limited proficiency in the Malay language.
Preliminary investigations revealed that 12 children including the baby do not have birth certificates. However, six had valid documents but do not have parents or guardians. Meanwhile, two were handed over to relatives as their legal guardians.
The children have been placed in designated safe places after the Bukit Mertajam Court approved temporary custody orders to allow JKM to take the children under its wing.
They were also given health checks at the Seberang Jaya Hospital and met with JKM psychologists.
As a result of the raid, five local adults were detained and suspected of acting as guardians of the place.
Lim shared the office received public complaints since last year but did not find children there during initial checks.
JKM had to continuously monitor the premises before taking further action. They observed groups of children entering and leaving the warehouse under suspicious circumstances.
The case is still under investigation with a special task force set up to coordinate documentation procedures and to investigate each child’s background.
The public is advised not to speculate on the case or it’ll jeopardise ongoing investigations.
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