Govt intensify efforts to tackle ‘forgotten child syndrome’ cases - Nancy
Active collaboration, information sharing with other agencies are also in play.
SHAH ALAM – The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) establishes an active collaboration and information sharing with other agencies in order to raise awareness so that 'forgotten child syndrome' in the car that claims lives does not recur.
Its minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said among the efforts that had been implemented was raising awareness and giving reminders and warnings through the media.
She said it includes sharing tips in the form of videos and infographics on social media, local news portals and mainstream media.
"We have also made announcements via email to all corporate relations officers in ministries, departments, federal and state agencies, hospitals as well as public educational institutions containing promotional materials for the 'Don't Leave Children Alone in Vehicles' campaign for them to share with their respective staffs.
"We at KPWKM have also taken the initiative by announcing the public address system at the KPWKM building since February 21, 2024.
"In this regard, all parties can play their respective roles, but the main responsibility is held by the parents of the children themselves.
“Hence, we can help ourselves not to forget to carry out various initiatives such as putting important things along with the child at the same place in the vehicle," she said in Dewan Rakyat today.
She said this when answering a question by Datuk Teo Eng Tee @ Teo Kok Chee during the question session of the Dewan Negara about the ministry's actions to prevent the issue from recurring.
Nancy added that 'forgotten child syndrome' in the car could occur due to various factors including changes in daily routine, pressure or stress, thinking about other important things while driving, fatigue, lethargy or trying to do multiple tasks at the same time.
"There is a study conducted by an academic psychology expert at a university in the United States that revealed most of the cases are not due to carelessness but rather memory problems.
"It depends on the situation and can happen to anyone at all, especially when it involves a small child who has yet to be able to talk or is sleeping.
“In this case, KPWKM has always strived to ensure that the tragedy of leaving children in the car and eventually taking lives does not happen again," she explained.
