Perak govt to ensure girls from home will be cared for
IPOH: The state government has given its reassurance that the girls of the Kaakum Karangal (“Caring Hands” in Tamil) home in Lim Garden here need not worry about not having a proper place to stay.
Datuk Rusnah Kassim, who is state Community Welfare Committee chairman, said the state would work on ensuring that the Society of Caring Hands Ipoh, which funded the home, would be able to continue its operations legally.
She said this following reports that another non-governmental organisation, said to be connected to the former president of the society, was claiming rights to the land on which the home is built. The matter is currently in court.
“I understand that the girls are afraid that there will be nowhere for them to go should the ownership be handed over to another party.
“They will continue to stay in the home as long as court proceedings have not ended,” she said.
“But if they are forced to move out at the end of it, we will find a new place for them.”
Rusnah also urged the society, currently embroiled in an internal crisis, not to involve any of the girls in the matter.
“Do not let such issues among the society’s members continue at the expense of the children.
“We only want them to resolve this ownership issue so that the Welfare Department can renew the home’s operating licence,” she said.
On the alleged incidences of child abuse suffered by the girls, Rusnah only said the matter had been handed to the police for a thorough investigation.
It was reported that the 12 girls living in the home, aged seven to 18, were at the risk of losing a place to stay after the property ownership of the home was brought to court.
Earlier this year, allegations of both physical and emotional abuse suffered by the girls came to light when several members of the society were looking into how the home was being run.
The abuse was allegedly committed by an official of the home.
The operating licence for the society and home is set to expire at the end of the month.