Incest: Online porn a factor
KOTA KINABALU: Easier access to online sexually explicit content among illiterate persons in the State is a contributing factor to Sabah having the highest number of incest cases in Malaysia.
Stating this here yesterday, Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said 489 sexual abuse cases had been recorded in the state.
These included rape and incest cases, where the majority were among rural children aged 18 and below, she said.
“A study revealed that there are a lot of illiterate people who do not even know right and wrong. They are also too trusting of their parents, grandparents and so on.
“When it is too late then they realize that it (incest) is wrong,” said Jainab, adding the “devil” within anyone was hard to tell.
“Of course, technology development doesn’t help because we know it can be misused to access blue-films and such,” she said.
Jainab said the federal and state governments were trying to tackle illiteracy among parents through various programmes.
However, she said emphasis should probably be given to teaching the sexual do’s and don’ts since sexual education was regarded too sensitive and “very taboo” among Sabahans.
“The children are already exposed to and know all about it (sex). So maybe it is time for us to open our minds for the children to learn about the do’s and don’ts because they are exposed to technology,” said the state minister while citing alcohol and drug abuse as other contributing factors.
Jainab said prevention of such cases should start from the family and suggested awareness programmes with a relaxed approach be carried in rural Sabah areas.
She said this was because a high number of cases had been recorded in places such as Kota Marudu and among the rural folks who had migrated to Kota Kinabalu.
On July 27, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim told the Dewan Rakyat that Royal Malaysia Police record showed a total of 22,234 sexual abuse cases had been reported from 2010 to May 2017.
Rohani said the highest cases of incest were recorded in Sabah, with 263 cases.