For God's sake, take responsibility and protect the children

Hartini Zainudin

Yesterday at 09:03 · 

People ask me why I've lost my marbles and am passionate and upset about what's happened in the Keramat tragedy. 

I'll tell you. 

I run homes. My name is on the applications for licenses for the 2 shelters. And they were on our shelter licenses till 2015. 

My points (rants) are about safety regulations and the implementation of a child protection policy in every place with children . Who monitors and sets regulations for all the religious schools and homes? The State religious offices. 

Under JKM process to even open a shelter, you must go through health, bomba and welfare inspection. You cannot have more than 9 children living in your shelter while the application is being processed. This tahfiz school had 36 children living there while they were waiting for bomba inspection. Any way you slice it, the children living there were in danger.

It takes too long to get a license? Then don't open.

You don't have enough money to run a home? Don't open.

You don't have a license, don't open . 

This isn't about religion. This is about protecting children. Don't change the subject. 

These number of deaths were tragic and unnecesssry. Where is the accountability? If this happened to one of my homes, god forbid, and there was a fire, I would be hauled up to the police immediately because my name is on the licenses. Where is the responsibility of the person in charge?These kinds of tragedies strike a nerve, every time. 

Someone is responsible. 

You can't keep saying it's fate and deflect responsibility.

Who's in charge? 

Man up!! 

No name because there's no license, then the head should step forward. Did you apply for a license? Show us, the parents, the children, that you care. I don't care if the parents of the victim said it wasn't your fault, man up! Show the children compassion, be remorseful, show us you care.

There's just sheer arrogance on the part of those running the homes.

And always defensive.
Always defensive.

Where's the apology? Its not your fault. It is! You're in charge. Where's the burden of amanah? 

It hurts me every time this happens. Children dying in your home.
How is the person in charge in these cases, never responsible? 

I am so angry. 

Same thing happened in Ulu Langat. No responsibility. I know what a huge responsibility it is to shelter children. It's a trust to take care of vulnerable children. They're not cows or chickens who died in a fire. These were children and people taking care of children who died.

You can't replace the dead and pile the home with more donations. Fix the problem. Be responsible! 

Parents of these victims say it's okay. All takdir? I just shake my head in disbelief. 

I don't have that kind of faith in one man or system or home. 

Your children should be safe, on earth and the hereafter. 

Tragedy or not, sabotage, etc- the persons running the home must ask themselves if they have a clear conscience that they did everything in their power to protect children and that these mistakes never happen again.

How do you say yes if children died in your home? 

These tragedies shouldn't happen. 

But they do, over and over again. 

Someone is not listening.

Until people do, no one should send children to unregistered homes and shelters. 
Find another way to take care of your children. Send them to registered homes.
And we should all be racing to get more homes registered quickly and safely.

Taking care of other people's children is a trust, do you know that? When you take them in, you promise the child and family you'll take care of them well. 

Why can't some understand that?

If a home can't manage on its own , let's help after they admit there are problems. 

Pitch in. Help. March forward. But for God's sake, take responsibility and protect the children 

Happy Malaysia Day!