Selangor Kini: ‘Mana Anak Anda?’: Selangor launches campaign to prevent child deaths in cars

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SELAYANG, March 21 — The Selangor government has launched a safety campaign aimed at preventing further deaths of children in vehicles following recent cases reported in the state.

State executive councillor for welfare Anfaal Saari said the campaign with the tagline ‘Di Mana Anak Anda Sekarang?’ (Where is Your Child Now?) will be implemented through three main strategies.

The first is to promote awareness among targeted groups, particularly parents, caregivers and the public, of children’s safety in vehicles.

“Chiefly, we want to raise awareness regarding the risks of forgotten baby syndrome,” she said in her speech at the launch of the Selangor Child Safety and Family Well-being Campaign at Selayang Hospital, here, today.

The syndrome defines a phenomenon of parents or guardians forgetting a child in a parked vehicle.

According to Anfaal, engagement sessions and forums aimed at addressing the issue will be held together with the Selangor Childcare Centre Association, non-governmental organisations and government agencies either in May or June.

“Focus will also be given to parents’ mental health and well-being.”

Anfaal said the second strategy involves the implementation of a comprehensive campaign across all available platforms, including through digital, print and mass media, as well as outreach efforts.  

Part of this strategy will see the distribution of stickers bearing the messages “Di Mana Anak Anda Sekarang” and “Pandang Belakang” (Look Behind).

The first phase will see 10,000 stickers distributed at government agencies premises, while the second phase involves the distribution of 50,000 stickers targeting corporate and commercial establishments.

Meanwhile, Anfaal said the final strategy of the campaign is to empower policy advocacy and address the root causes of the problem that contribute to children’s death in cars via long-term solutions.

“These include issues like the double burden faced by working women, availability of affordable childcare facilities such as daycare centres at workplaces, and access to temporary childcare services.”

Dedicated parking for parents

Anfaal added that the state government is also mulling implementing prompt initiatives to complement existing policies.

“One example is providing dedicated parking spaces for parents at hotspots such as hospitals and government premises,” she said.  

Simultaneously, she urged industry players, particularly startup companies, to offer technological support, such as developing mobile applications, to aid parents in ensuring their children’s safety.

Speaking to reporters after the launch, Anfaal said although police statistics show only two cases of children dying in cars in Selangor last year and one this year, this is already a cause for grave concern.

“It’s crucial for me to stress that the forgotten baby syndrome can happen to anyone. Thus, preventive measures must be taken promptly to avoid its recurrence,” she said.

On February 1, it was reported that a five-year-old girl had died after she was found unconscious in her mother’s car, which was parked near the back door of Shah Alam Hospital.

An investigation found the child’s mother, who works at the hospital, had left the girl in the car by accident. She had picked up her daughter at a nearby nursery at about 2pm before returning to work.

In November, a two-year-old girl died after being left in a vehicle for eight hours in Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

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