Child abuse consists of any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a childs physical or

emotional health and development. Child abuse includes any damage done to a child which cannot be
reasonably explained and which is often represented by an injury or series of injuries appearing to be nonaccidental in nature.
Forms of Child Abuse
Physical abuse
Any non-accidental injury to a child. This includes hitting, kicking, slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair
pulling, biting, choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, and paddling.
Sexual abuse
Any sexual act between an adult and child. This includes fondling, penetration, intercourse, exploitation,
pornography, exhibitionism, child prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.
Neglect
Failure to provide for a childs physical needs. This includes lack of supervision, inappropriate housing or
shelter, inadequate provision of food and water, inappropriate clothing for season or weather,
abandonment, denial of medical care and inadequate hygiene.
Emotional abuse
Any attitude or behavior which interferes with a childs mental health or social development. This includes
yelling, screaming, name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling them they are bad, no
good, worthless or a mistake. It also includes the failure to provide the affection and support necessary
for the development of a childs emotional, social, physical and intellectual well-being. This includes ignoring,
lack of appropriate physical affection (hugs), not saying I love you, withdrawal of attention, lack of praise
and lack of positive reinforcement.

Mum under remand, babysitter willing to adopt special needs boy

SEREMBAN, June 22:
With the mother of the 15-year-old neglected special needs boy having been remanded by police last night,
the former babysitter of the child is willing to adopt the boy as her own.
Norfitri Radius had rushed to the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban (HTJS) as soon as she saw the news of
Muhammad Firdaus being found in inhumane conditions during a midnight raid by the Negri Sembilan
Immigration Department yesterday.
She said she was saddened by the whole situation.
When I met him today, he turned to look at me and tears started dropping from his eyes, the 42-year-old
waitress said, adding that she had been babysitting the cerebral palsy-stricken child since 2003.
Since I have been taking care of him close to eight years, Im willing to adopt him as my own if the mother is
not able to take care of him, Norfitri said when met at HTJS today.
She said she quit taking care of the child in 2011 after her husband moved to Gemencheh as a result of his
work.
She was formerly a neighbour of the boys family at Taman Semarak Phase 2, Nilai, where he was discovered
covered in his own feaces and urine during a routine midnight raid yesterday.
From then, I only made contact with the mother through the phone. The last I called was two weeks back
and I asked how Firdaus was doing. She replied he was the same as usual, Norfitri said.
Muhammad Firdaus mother, according to Norfitri, is apparently undergoing depression after she had a
miscarriage this year through her second marriage.
Muhammad Firdaus was conceived through her first marriage.
What she did was not right, but I suppose she had her reasons for doing so because previously she never
treated the child in such manner, she said, adding that the child was much healthier when she used to care
for him.
I used to take him for traditional massage treatments and even took him to the beach several times. He was
much healthier compared to what I saw yesterday.
Norfitri said that as far as she knew, the mother had no history of abusing the boy.
And the blame does not lie solely with the mother. What about the former husband as well as Muhammad
Firdaus current stepfather, who did not intervene knowing the child was neglected in this manner?
When asked on Muhammad Firdaus condition, Nurfitri said the boy looked better and cheerful when
compared to yesterday.
There was a stark difference from what I saw on the television and what I saw moments earlier.
His tummy is full and he seems much more cheerful now, she said, thanking the HTJS staff.
Meanwhile, Nilai police chief Superintendent Abdullah Roning said the boys mother was remanded last
night.
She will be remanded until Wednesday to assist in investigations under Section 31 of the Childs Act 2001
for suspected ill-treatment, abandonment and neglect of Firdaus.

He also said police would be looking at all aspects and factors pertaining to the case and would refer to the
hospital report, state Welfare Department along with the deputy public prosecutor before coming to any
conclusion.
Fund set up for disabled 15-year-old who was found in flat
SEREMBAN: Help is pouring in for disabled teen Muhammad Firdaus Dullah who was found in utter neglect
and severely malnourished in a flat in Taman Semarak, Nilai, near here.
While Wanita Umno has set up the Adik Firdaus Fund with an initial sum of RM4,000, Sabah Chief Minister
Datuk Seri Musa Aman also offered to help the 15-year-old who is originally from Sabah.
Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the contribution included RM2,000 from the
president of the Welfare Association of Wives of Senior Government Servants and Elected Representatives of
Negri Sembilan (Pekerti), Datin Seri Raja Salbiah Tengku Nujumuddin.
Shahrizat and Raja Salbiah visited Muhammad Firdaus at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital yesterday, Bernama
reported. Last Saturday, Immigration officers making checks to weed out illegals stumbled upon the boy with
deformed limbs who was clad in a tattered and soiled T-shirt and covered in his own faeces and urine.
His 40-year-old mother, believed to be working as a helper in a catering company in nearby Sepang, is being
remanded until tomorrow.
In Kota Kinabalu, Musa said he had directed the State Community Development and Consumer Affairs
Ministry to see how they could assist the child.
Neighbours told reporters yesterday that they had not seen the boy in the last year, ever since his nanny
Norfitri Radius, 42, moved out of the flats.
She used to take him out on his wheelchair. But he didnt look anything like how he appeared in the
newspapers, the neighbours said.
Workers at the shop where Muhammad Firdaus mother went to for daily economy rice said she would pack
two or three packets of pretty substantial food, accompanied by her other son, aged about five.
Nilai OCPD Supt Abdullah Roning dismissed talk that the mother was living separately from Muhammad
Firdaus.
Tuanku Jaafar Hospital director Datuk Dr Jaafar Che Mat said the teenager could have gone without food for
several months or been given inappropriate food.
He said no signs of injuries or abuses were found on Muhammad Firdaus.
He weighed only 15kg when he was admitted. His condition is stable now. He will need further care, he
added.
Bukit Aman D11 (sexual crimes, domestic violence and child abuse investigations division) principal assistant
director Asst Comm Hamidah Yunus has warned that parents who commit serious child neglect face a fine of
not more than RM20,000 or a jail term not more than 10 years or both, under Section 31(1) of the Child Act
2001.

Dont judge Firdaus mother

Many people were horrified when they read about the neglect of 15-year-old Muhammad Firdaus Dullah,
who has cerebral palsy. Even the Prime Minister has joined the ordinary man in the street in condemning the
neglect, and accusations have been heaped upon Firdauss mother, his former nanny and the government.
Malaysians show concern for the less privileged, the disabled or the poor only when the media feature
stories about them. The rest of the time, these people are invisible to them.
FMT recently spoke to Zahriah Mohd Faiz, a mother of six young children, the oldest of whom has cerebral
palsy. She spoke of the challenges she and her husband face in bringing up 15-year-old Balqis.
Reading about Firdaus was devastating for Zahriah, who recalled the years of worry and hardship she went
through before finally coming to terms with raising a child with special needs.
Looking after a special needs child is expensive because of the equipment, treatment and diet. According to
Zahriah, faith is the most important aid to survival, which includes keeping ones sanity.
She said: Have faith that your special childs condition will improve. If not, have faith that the reward might
not be now, in this world, but surely in the hereafter. Only faith keeps one going forward.
Zahriah hadnt heard of cerebral palsy before Balqis was diagnosed with the condition. She said: I cant give
reasons for the actions of Firdaus mother, but I can imagine the emotional, physical and financial turmoil
and the test of her iman (faith).
Zahriah empathises with Firdaus mother and the difficulty of raising a son without a husbands support, the
demands on her energy and the feeling of isolation. Unless we really know what happened, we should
reserve our judgement of the mother, she said, adding that she was appalled at the public criticism.
What has society done to help parents with special needs children?
For the past fourteen and a half years, Firdaus appeared to have been well cared for. What has happened to
the mother over the past six months? We must investigate, understand and provide support to Firdaus
mother, Firdaus himself and all parents and children with special needs.
Her advice to parents of special needs children is simple. Couples must be strong and support each other
despite the lack of support from society.
Contact other parents with similar children to share the happiness and sadness, for only they understand
the problems.
Enjoy life
She offered Muslim parents comfort with the following verse from the Quran: O you who have believed,
seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. (2:153).
kk9Caring for a special needs child is difficult, as parents have to cope with lack of sleep, tiredness, tantrums,
finances, special equipment and odd looks from other people.
But life isnt over just because you have a special needs child, Zahriah said, Have faith in God and take
time to recharge yourself. Try to enjoy life as much as is possible.
Speaking of her experience, she said seeking help was difficult and there was a paucity of information.
Instead of being informed and assisted, she and her husband had to press the doctors for guidance. She fears
that the less knowledgeable single mothers or less financially able parents would find it even more difficult.
We were not given any useful information by doctors in private or public hospitals, she said.

We had no idea where to get information from until an old friend suggested the NURY Institute of Family
and Child Development. NURY is a private centre. It is not cheap, but they provided guidance on diet and
therapies. We did not get this help from the hospitals which treated Balqis.
Soon after Balqis birth, Zahriah accompanied her husband to England for his PhD studies. There she had a
totally different experience.
Once we registered Balqis with the National Health Service, she said, they sent us a letter to acknowledge
the special needs child in our household and provided us with a list of contact numbers.
They made appointments for Balqis assessments by occupational therapists, speech therapists, dietitians,
physiotherapists, etcetera. After a few months, we had home visits, during which they assessed Balqis needs
for treatment, equipment, milk, diapers and so on. Balqis was enrolled in a special needs school and
transportation was provided.
These assessments were arranged by letters, e-mails, phone calls and home visits. We only went to the
hospital to prepare Balqis for surgery for her heart condition.
The system accommodates parents with special needs children. There is no worry and no running around.
Malaysia should learn from the way England treats special needs people.
Zahriah, a former lecturer, claims that there are few special needs schools in Malaysia and they offer a
limited service. She cautioned that these schools catered only to children with certain disabilities, not
including those who are highly dependent, such as those who cannot walk.
Network of schools
Speaking of her experience with a special needs school in Bangi, she said: Either one parent or a maid needs
to be with the child. The school is not fully equipped, nor does it have enough qualified staff.
Kanak-Kanak-300x205She stressed the entitlement of special needs children to an education. If Malaysia is
serious in helping special needs children, it should emulate the UK or Australia and develop a network of
special needs schools, with proper equipment, therapists and teachers.
The special needs children are stimulated by social interaction and have a sense of belonging in society.
Field trips to public places help the community realise that disabled children are part of society. The children
see the outside world and receive an education.
She believes that there are many like Firdaus, who are poor, have no father and no extended family to help.
She dismisses reports that parents refuse aid from the government and says that they have probably been
deterred by the cumbersome procedures, the bureaucracy, the time, energy and money needed to obtain
assistance.
Registering with Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) entitles a special needs child to an allowance of
RM150 per month, she said, but the cost of bringing the child up exceeds RM150. Queues at government
hospitals are long and the hospitals do not allocate enough time to treat the child.
Zahriah offers some suggestions to parents who are less financially secure. Families and friends can offer
emotional support and help care for the child for a few hours, so the parents can rest. They could contribute
some money every month.
The zakat system could include special needs children. JKM must note the problems faced by parents of
special needs children and make the procedures easier.

Society plays an important role. Zahriah said: The community could help by being more caring and
understanding. Dont discriminate against families with a special needs child. Dont look at them oddly when
they go out. Help them. Make them feel they are part of society.
She advises parents against being ashamed and discouraged with life. Be patient despite these trials and
tribulations. Everything is possible when you have faith.
Soon after the interview with FMT, Zahriah and her husband took Balqis and her five siblings to a holiday to
Switzerland, to climb the Alps.