KUCHING, Sept 8 — Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii is asking how one of the world’s most wanted paedophiles, Alladin Lanim, was able to sexually abuse children for over a decade at Lundu without being detected by Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
He said he strongly welcomed the collaboration between PDRM and the Australian Federal Police which led to the arrest of 40-year-old Alladin.
“But we do need to ask real questions what were our local PDRM doing all this while and how was he allowed to operate for more than a decade without being caught,” asked Dr Yii in a statement.
He pointed out that such a case was not the first the country as investigative work by the police in United Kingdom had resulted in the arrest of Richard Huckle, dubbed as Britain’s worst paedophile, in Kuala Lumpur.
Richard was later sentenced to 22 counts of life imprisonment in the United Kingdom in 2016 for sexually abusing around 200 children between 2006 and 2014, mainly in Malaysia.
“So, this begs the question whether our police force is properly empowered and given the adequate training and resources, or they may have misplaced priorities,” Dr Yii wondered.
He stressed that police institutions must be strengthened and be allowed to focus on real crimes to protect the people instead.
The MP said Lundu was a relatively small place and this begs the question as to why the local police were not aware of his activities.
“I do hope that this serves as a wake-up call for all of us, especially for the government to take crimes related to children seriously and strengthen the federal police’s specialised Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division.”
Measures must include proper funding to equip law enforcement officers with the necessary technical and training expertise to crack down child sexual abuse and exploitation.
“They cannot be dragging their feet anymore and allow our children especially those in the rural areas that may be more vulnerable to such suggestions to be exposed to such danger.”
Moreover, Dr Yii asked that a holistic plan must be drawn up to educate children on such issues and on the ways to protect themselves. Such plan must also be incorporated into the country’s education system.
“Parents and teachers play and important role to empower and educate our children, but more must also be done to address this issue.”
Alladin was recently produced in court in Kuching where he pleaded guilty to 18 charges and was sentenced to 48 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane. — Borneo Post Online
