By Naeem Raffi
SHAH ALAM, Feb 23 — All parties are urged to ensure a safe environment, especially for women and children, following an incident of molestation in a mosque in Batang Kali on Friday (February 21).
Concerned about the fate of the child involved, state executive councillor for women empowerment social welfare Anfaal Saari also requested the Social Welfare Department to provide free counselling services to the victim to help cope with trauma.
"May the victim be in good health and well-being in every aspect, be it physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. May mosques and the entire state of Selangor be safe places for all.
"I regret the statements made by certain parties suggesting that women should only pray at home. Instead, we must create a safe environment for women and children, not prevent them from leaving their homes altogether," she said in a statement.
On Friday, social media circulated news of an attempted rape of a young girl in the women’s prayer area at Masjid Jamek Sungai Masin, Batang Kali, during Subuh prayers.
Following the incident, a 19-year-old local man suspected of molesting the victim was arrested on the same day and is currently remanded for seven days until Friday (February 28).
The suspect, confirmed to possess a disabled person's card for learning disabilities, is remanded under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Anfaal emphasised that holding a disabled person's card does not exempt the perpetrator from legal action, and expressed confidence that the police are conducting the best possible investigation to ensure justice is served.
"We must do more to care for disabled persons, especially those who are mentally unstable, to ensure they do not engage in actions that could endanger themselves or others due to their condition.
"InsyaAllah, with the establishment of Yayasan Insan Istimewa Selangor (YaNIS), scheduled for this year, the state government aims to expand disabled persons' initiatives to include disabled adults, bringing benefits to a wider range of disabled persons categories," she said.
