KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 ― Sex education should be taught in Malaysia from preschool to keep young children safe from sexual abuse, the Malaysian Paediatric Association and College of Paediatrics, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia said in a joint statement today.

Following recent news of the large-scale sexual abuses of 22 Malaysian children as young as six months at the hands of Briton Richard Huckle, they asserted that sex education that focuses on teaching children how to cope when faced with sexual predators has proven to be effective in dealing with paedophiles.

“Sex education should serve as a ‘vaccine’ against sexual abuse. The argument that sex education encourages early sexual activities among teenagers is ‘archaic’ and a ‘myth’,” the two groups said.

Due to cultural mores and customs, the subject of sex education in Malaysia has been treated with taboo. Sex education modules are currently taught only in secondary schools and focus on abstinence.

Like other children’s welfare advocates, the Malaysian Paediatric Association and College of Paediatrics mooted for the set-up of a sex offenders registry, especially on convicted paedophiles.

However, they also emphasised that sexual awareness efforts needed to be stepped up because there is no “typical paedophile”.

The two groups pointed out that many who preyed on children were those who held a degree of trust in the community, “as neighbours, clergy, babysitters, teachers and even family members”.

“Statistics indicate that your child could be more at risk from someone they do know than from a complete stranger; in relation to paedophiles, two-third of paedophiles are known to children,” they said.

Both groups warned that the trauma from victims of paedophiles are long-lasting and advised that early and appropriate therapy and counselling be given as well as long-term support.

They also said that many felt the UK court that convicted Huckle and gave him 22 life sentences was “too lenient” as the 30-year-old could be out on parole in 24 years.

However, they also said many felt it would have been tougher to prosecute the Briton in Malaysia under existing child protection laws.

The two paediatric groups urged the government to strengthen current laws and policies to keep the nation’s children safe from the many sexual predators “out there”, even as they noted the case of a 23-year-old Malaysian student who sentenced to five years in jail last year for possession of child pornography videos and pictures.