PENDANG - A woman lodged a police report, alleging that her older brother who has schizophrenia was being treated in an inhumane manner by her neighbours' children in Kubur Panjang, here.
Nor Zaihan Muhamad Yusof, 29, said her 40-year-old brother known as Bang Pit had often been a target of harassment, with the most recent incident involving several neighbourhood children allegedly urinating on him.
She said society should be more aware and respectful of individuals with mental health conditions and the families who cared for them.
"We have tried our best to look after my brother who is a person with a disability, but it is very sad and frustrating when the neighbours do not stop or prevent their children from trespassing into our yard and disturbing my brother physically and emotionally.
"What’s even more disappointing is that the perpetrators are minors, behaving disrespectfully in front of their own parents as if they’re not being held accountable," she told Sinar.
On April 3, Zaihan shared about the incident on her Facebook page stating that her brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of six and her family has been trying their best to care for him for over 40 years.
She added that their family has taken care of Bang Pit with love, always ensuring the gate was locked and the windows were secured with iron bars for safety.
"However, the neighbour's children mock my brother's illness and use it as a subject of ridicule.
"My brother has also complained of being pelted with stones, but we had no evidence. Recently, I saw them throw firecrackers at my brother while he was sitting in the garage," she said.
She added that surveillance camera footage showed the children burning clothes hung on the fence and climbing into the yard despite the gate being locked.
"In the latest incident, my mother saw them urinating on my brother's body. That is crossing the line and that's why I decided to lodge a police report at the Kubur Panjang police station on April 3," she said.
Zaihan added that she hoped the parents of the children involved will take responsibility and properly discipline their children before more serious incidents take place.
Meanwhile, Pendang district police chief Superintendent Rodzi Abu Hassan, when contacted, confirmed that the police had received the report.