Buddy Bear—a dedicated child helpline in Malaysia—reminds Malaysians of their service after the devastating news of a child who was allegedly abused and drowned by his mother and stepfather. The child helpline also aims to fill in for the gap of the now-defunct Talian Nur helpline.
It was reported on 31 January 2021 that police have opened a murder investigation into the death of a seven-year-old boy who allegedly drowned in a water tub. The biological mother and step-father have been detained and remanded to assist with police inquiries after bruises and other injuries were found on several parts of the boy’s body.
Norlida Abu Hassan, who claimed to have fostered the boy since he was two months old, said he had moved back in with his biological mother in October 2020. She handed the boy over to his biological mother to help her out as she “faced financial difficulties while trying to pursue a higher education”. However, Norlida said that his biological mother then cut off all contact and blocked her mobile number.
“I thought his mother couldn’t bear to be away from his son anymore, so I let him return to her… I never thought that the child, who I treated like my own, disappeared in the blink of an eye in such a terrible way,” she said.
The death of the boy resulted in an urge for the reintroduction of the special helpline for children Talian Nur. According to the Children’s Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, the rebranded Talian Kasih at 15999 did not provide for such a dedicated line.
Buddy Bear—initiated just last year—is specialised to help children under the age of 18. Its volunteers are trained in Psychological First Aid (PFA) and are supervised by registered mental health professionals who are committed to provide a responsible and ethical phone line for children.
“But because this helpline doesn’t allow us to see the child face-to-face, we ask more immediate questions such as: “What would you like to see happen? What would feel safe for you now? What are they needing now?” said Buddy Bear founder Pam Guneratnam.
The Buddy Bear helpline—1-800-18-BEAR (1-800-18-2327)—operates from noon to midnight, seven days a week. Volunteers are able to speak Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
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