Wanita Harapan expresses frustration and grief over the negligence of the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Women, Family and Community, Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff in protecting the rights of children on social media.

This is due to the actions of the deputy minister who shared a picture of her visiting the child of a recent murder victim, which has unfortunately spread to mainstream media until the name and picture of the child mentioned were reported on the first page of Utusan Malaysia.

In a statement, Wanita Harapan stressed that Siti Zailah’s irresponsible actions and her negligence were in violation of the children’s act which protects the interests, welfare and safety of children in Malaysia.

“We emphasize that as the main ministry that is the most important stakeholder of children’s issues in Malaysia, she should be more sensitive to the rights of these children and be a good example to the public and the media.

“The tragedy and traumatic situation of these children should not be disseminated for public viewing, let alone be used as an opportunistic space to gain political support,” the statement read.

In this regard, Wanita Harapan urges all parties, including Perikatan Nasional and Utusan Malaysia to understand and respect the existing legislation that protects children in Malaysia.