KUALA LUMPUR – The media must adhere to the Child Act 2001 when reporting and publishing stories about children, says the children’s commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today.
This concern about the media coverage was raised after news reports of two incidents: a 12-year-old boy who illegally drove a car in his neighbourhood in Puchong and a 14-year-old girl who posed as a doctor at a government hospital in Serdang.
Children’s commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki refers to Section 15(2) of the Child Act, which explicitly prohibits the media from reporting or publishing images of children involved in legal conflicts, those under protection and rehabilitation, or those beyond control, at any stage of their case.
Violation of this section comes with a punishment of a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both, under Section 15(3) of the act.
“The boy’s offence resulted from parental negligence, and the Royal Malaysia Police confirmed that the girl had previously received psychiatric treatment but did not continue with follow-up care,” she said in a statement.
She added that Malaysia, as a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child since 1995, is committed to ensuring that no child is subjected to degrading treatment, even if the child conflicts with the law, as outlined in Article 37 of the convention.
Farah also said the persistent media violations of the act are a serious concern and called for stricter enforcement of Section 15 of the act to prevent such incidents from recurring.
She also said that the commission is prepared to collaborate with the Malaysian Press Institute to provide training for the media on legal literacy concerning children’s rights.
It was previously reported that a 12-year-old boy was filmed driving a Perodua Viva illegally with his younger siblings in Taman Putra Impiana, Puchong.
The video quickly went viral, leading to the father being summoned for questioning. He was subsequently charged with child negligence, as his actions put his children at risk of injury.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl who managed to infiltrate a government hospital in Serdang while posing as a doctor was ordered on August 9 by magistrate Muhammad Bukhori Md Ruslan to be remanded for two days.
This remand is to assist with the investigation under Sections 448 and 170 of the Penal Code, which relate to trespassing and impersonating a public servant.
If convicted, the penalties could include imprisonment for up to three years, a maximum fine of RM5,000, or both. For the offence of impersonating a public servant, the penalties could be imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both. – August 13, 2024