Latest news with #Suhakam
The Star
4 days ago
- Health
- The Star
High-rise tragedies show a systemic failure to ensure child safety, says children's commissioner
PETALING JAYA: Recent fatal falls from high-rise buildings involving children reflect a prevalent failure to prioritise their safety in the home, says the Suhakam children's commissioner. Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said such cases could have been prevented with proper safety measures in place, coupled with awareness and enforcement of safety regulations. "These back-to-back tragedies are not isolated accidents," she said in a statement on Friday (June 6). ALSO READ: Safer high-rises for kids "They are preventable deaths that starkly expose the failure to implement essential safety measures in high-rise residential buildings. "These children did not have to die," she added. She said the recent cases were a direct consequence of a systemic failure to prioritise child safety where it matters most – in the home. "As a party to the (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malaysia is duty-bound to protect every child's right to life, development, and protection from foreseeable harm. ALSO READ: Four-year-old boy dies after fall from 30th-floor of Bukit Jalil apartment "A safe home environment is not a luxury. "Providing a safe home environment is a legal and moral obligation," she said. Her remarks follow the death of a four-year-old boy who is believed to have fallen from the 30th-floor balcony of an apartment in Bukit Jalil on Thursday (June 5) morning. On May 21, a seven-year-old girl fell from the 29th floor of a condominium in Puchong, Subang Jaya. On May 17, a boy aged two years and eight months died after falling from the seventh floor of a public housing unit in Precinct 9, Putrajaya. ALSO READ: Seven-year-old girl dies after falling from Puchong condo The Star had previously highlighted the dangers posed to children living in high-rise buildings and suggestions by child activists on how to better ensure their safety. Dr Farah called in both Federal and state authorities, including stakeholders, to urgently implement measures to prevent further tragedies. Among them, she said, were enacting specific laws to enhance child safety in high-rise residential buildings. "This includes making it mandatory for all apartment and flat units, including rental units, to be equipped with safety grilles or protective mesh on windows and balconies. "Additionally, minimum safety design standards for child-friendly high-rise units must be established under existing building laws or regulations," she said. ALSO READ: Boy dies in fall from seventh floor of Putrajaya housing block At present, under the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL), balcony railings of residential high-rise buildings cannot be less than 1m or 1,000mm in height, but local authorities can impose stricter requirements. However, it is mandatory for window grilles to be installed in residential high-rise buildings under the UBBL, although it could be regulated by the building's management or voluntarily installed by the owners. "Current building design for child safety standards must be reviewed and integrated as mandatory requirements in all high-rise residential developments," Dr Farah said. She also called on local authorities to conduct regular and strict compliance inspections of high-rise units, especially rental properties, to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features. "To all parents, while we push for reforms to take place, in the meantime, vigilance is key. "If you live in a high-rise residence, never leave young children unattended, and ensure safety measures are installed," she added.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Boy, 4, dies after falling from 30th floor of Bukit Jalil condo
Cheras police chief Aidil Bolhassan said the case has been classified as sudden death and that investigations are ongoing. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A four-year-old boy died after he fell from the balcony of his home on the 30th floor of a condominium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, today. Cheras police chief Aidil Bolhassan said an emergency call was received at around 11.17am today and a team was deployed to the location immediately, Bernama reported. 'The body has been sent to the forensic unit of Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital and the post-mortem will be carried out tomorrow,' he said in a statement. Aidil said the case has been classified as sudden death and that investigations were ongoing. A 37-second video showing a man believed to be related to the victim crying by the child's body had gone viral. Earlier today, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) called for the enactment of specific laws to enhance child safety legislation in high-rise residential buildings, following the recent deaths of a seven-year-old and two-year-old in separate incidents. Suhakam children's commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki said child safety laws to be enacted by the housing and local government ministry should include mandatory safety grilles or protective mesh on windows and balconies for apartment and flat units. She also urged the government to review current building design guidelines, saying they must include minimum safety standards to ensure high-rise units are child-friendly. The seven-year-old girl who died on May 20 fell from a babysitter's home on the 29th floor of a condominium in Puchong. Subang Jaya deputy police chief Fairus Jaafar said preliminary findings indicated that the victim climbed out of the window, which had no safety grilles installed. On May 17, a two-year-old boy fell from the seventh floor of a public housing building in Precinct 9, Putrajaya.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Enact child safety laws for high-rise residential buildings, says Suhakam
Suhakam children's commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki called for regular inspections of high-rise residential units to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features. PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for the enactment of specific laws to enhance child safety legislation in high-rise residential buildings, following the recent deaths of a seven-year-old and two-year-old in separate accidents. 'These back-to-back tragedies are not isolated accidents. 'They are preventable deaths that starkly expose the failure to implement essential safety measures in high-rise residential buildings,' Suhakam children's commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki said in a statement today. She said the child safety laws to be enacted by the housing and local government ministry should include mandatory safety grilles or protective mesh on windows and balconies for apartment and flat units. 'Additionally, minimum safety design standards for child-friendly high-rise units must be established under existing building laws or regulations. 'The ministry and local authorities must also review current building design guidelines to ensure that child safety considerations are mandatory in all high-rise residential developments,' she said. The seven-year-old girl who died on May 20 fell from a babysitter's home on the 29th floor of a condominium in Puchong, Subang Jaya. Subang Jaya deputy police chief Fairus Jaafar said preliminary findings indicated that the victim climbed out of the window, which had no safety grilles installed. On May 17, meanwhile, a two-year-old boy fell from the seventh floor of a public housing building in Presint 9, Putrajaya. Farah Nini called for local authorities to conduct regular inspections of high-rise residential units, especially rental properties, to ensure compliance with child safety standards and features. 'The absence of basic safety features in high-rise homes directly contributed to the loss of these young lives. This is unacceptable in any society that claims to uphold children's rights,' she said.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam
Suhakam said policy gaps have left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to be amended to explicitly recognise the Orang Asli as entitled to the same constitutional safeguards and affirmative action measures as other indigenous groups. In a statement, Suhakam said such recognition was essential to ensuring that the rights, identity, and entitlements of the Orang Asli were no longer subject to administrative ambiguity or exclusion. Suhakam said the amendment was also in line with its call to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples. 'For decades, these communities have endured systemic neglect, marginalisation, and violations of their fundamental rights, particularly concerning land, identity, and socio-economic inclusion,' said the rights body. Article 153 of the Federal Constitution ensures that the Malays and natives of East Malaysia have access to 'such proportion' of positions in the public service, scholarships, as well as permits and licences for the operation of any trade or business, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable. In its statement, Suhakam also pushed for the creation of an independent national commission on indigenous peoples, as recommended in its National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The proposed commission would advise the government on relevant laws and policies, monitor sustainable development on indigenous lands, encourage indigenous participation at all levels, and conduct research on issues affecting their communities. Suhakam said the commission must comprise mostly indigenous representatives, selected transparently and with community endorsement, to ensure that it truly represents their voices and respects the principle of self-determination. Suhakam said although the government accepted 17 of its 18 recommendations from the national inquiry, progress had been slow. Suhakam also called for a full review of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and a reform of the Orang Asli development department (Jakoa). It said Jakoa, currently the main federal agency overseeing Orang Asli affairs, must evolve into a rights-based institution capable of protecting indigenous rights, not just delivering welfare. Another critical issue highlighted in the statement was a lack of alignment between federal and state policies, particularly in the recognition and protection of ancestral and customary land. Suhakam said policy gaps had left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. Suhakam said both federal and state governments must uphold their responsibilities as custodians of indigenous land and resources, including enforcing land rights through clear, consistent policies aligned with international standards such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169. 'These instruments affirm indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior, and informed consent, and to preserve their culture, lands, and institutions,' said Suhakam. Suhakam added that no meaningful reform could happen without the active involvement of indigenous communities and civil society, stressing the necessity of their participation to ensure that any changes are effective and accepted by those directly affected.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Peka backs positive discrimination for Orang Asli
Peka said the government should return all land belonging to the Orang Asli. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : An environmental group is pushing for positive discrimination for the Orang Asli following calls for the community to be constitutionally recognised and granted safeguards and affirmative action measures similar to those of other indigenous groups. Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said Article 8(5)(c) of the Federal Constitution stipulates the reservation of land and positions in public service for natives. However, he said the Orang Asli were treated like foreigners in their own land. He also said that their land had been seized and the community left with nothing, 'completely unable to fend for themselves'. 'We demand that the government return all land belonging to the Orang Asli and for state governments to declare that the Orang Asli permanently own all land that they are occupying,' Rajesh, a vocal advocate for Orang Asli rights, said in a statement. Rajesh's statement comes a day after the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) called for Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to be amended to explicitly recognise the Orang Asli as entitled to the same constitutional safeguards and affirmative action measures as other indigenous groups. Suhakam said such recognition was essential to ensuring that the rights, identity, and entitlements of the Orang Asli were no longer subject to administrative ambiguity or exclusion. It also said the amendment was in line with its call to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples.
