by Alia Azwa
Edited by Fasihah Zulkifli
Copyright image : New Straits Times
KOTA KINABALU, 15 August 2023: A recent incident at a childcare centre in Luyang has gained attention after closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage surfaced online, showing a caregiver allegedly abusing a four-year-old boy.
The distressing footage, widely shared on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, depicts the child enduring repeated kicks, slaps, and strikes with objects while eating.
The young boy returned home from the centre with visible bruises and pain, and then informed his parents about the alleged abuse by a caretaker at the Luyang centre. Alarmed by this information, the parents visited the centre and requested access to the CCTV footage.
Their ordeal escalated when they witnessed the footage, which showcased a woman repeatedly slapping and hitting the child, even using a metal object, and being seen pulling the child's hair in the presence of other children at the centre.
In response to the viral video, Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Asst. Comm. Mohd Zaidi Abdullah confirmed the incident happened at the childcare centre.
The child's father, who chose to remain anonymous, shared his heartbreak after watching his son endure such mistreatment, then lost his patience and beat up the caretaker.
Multiple police reports have been filed concerning the incident, including two from the parents and one from the 27-year-old caretaker who claimed to have been assaulted by the boy's 36-year-old father.
In response to the incident, Leong Fei Yeen, the principal of Taska & Tadika Sri Kandi, extended the centre's apologies for the incident that took place on August 8.
The 27-year-old carer has been remanded until August 17, with investigations underway. The case is being examined under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for child abuse; simultaneously, the child's father is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing harm intentionally.
In regards to this childcare centre's physical abuse case, the state government has decided to mandate the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at all kindergartens and daycare facilities under its jurisdiction as a requirement for licence renewal.***
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