IPOH: Police here urged the public to refrain from giving money to child beggars, as they may be victims of child labour syndicates.
State Criminal Investigation Department Datuk Gan Tian Kee said by giving money to these children, the syndicates’ operations would become more lucrative, leading them to recruit, or abduct, even more vulnerable children.
"The right way to (help the children is by taking) a picture of them and sending it to the authorities. If you are giving them money, you are not helping them at all. You are making their lives miserable.
"The public must come forward and give information to the police, so that we can act immediately. In this country, children are not allowed to work. If they do so, something is wrong somewhere," Gan said.
He told reporters this after attending a monthly police assembly at the Ipoh police headquarters here today.
On developments in the case of 18 people, including five children, who were rescued from suspected human traffickers in the state on Sunday, Gan said police have taken a statement from the owner of the plantation in order to complete the investigation paper.
"The report is expected to be completed by the end of this week," he said, adding that it was the first child labour case recorded in the state.
He said last year, two cases of child exploitation were recorded in the state. In both cases, the children were forced to be beggars.
On Sunday, police rescued the victims, comprising five men and six women aged between 27 and 62, two male teens aged 13 and 17, and five children, at an oil palm plantation in Belukar Semang, Kampung Tasek in Grik.
Police also arrested a married couple, aged 43 and 24, who were remanded for six days until Friday (March 3) to facilitate investigations.
The victims were sent to shelter homes in Rembau, Negri Sembilan; Subang Jaya Selangor; Johor Baru, Johor; and Tanjung Keling, Malacca.