It is a startling figure: An average of 15 people went missing every day last year, Malaysian police records showed.
Even more alarmingly, nearly a quarter of them are Malay girls aged 13 to 17. Of the 4,804 who were reported missing from January to October last year, more than half did not make it home, The Star reported.
Federal CID director Commissioner Mohd Bakri Zinin said a number of missing people were from broken homes.
He added: "Teenagers from broken families are at an increased risk of peer pressure to run away from home."
Some who went missing were school dropouts while others, especially girls, ran away with boyfriends.
Malay girls formed the biggest group, making up 1,124 missing cases. It was four times more than their male counterparts.
Mr Mohd Bakri said there were isolated cases of missing people being victims of sexual predators and human traffickers.
He also said there are mechanisms such as the national urgent response alert for children below 12 who have gone missing. But families should play their part as well, he said.
"It is of the utmost importance that a missing person's report be lodged as fast as possible as it will assist us in mobilising our resources quickly," he said.
Every child and teen aged 18 and below who goes missing and is located will be sent for counselling with the Welfare Department.
Said Mr Mohd Bakri: "The children will be given counselling until they can adapt themselves back into society without worry."
Even as police continue to look for missing people, a 28-year-old factory worker is searching for her younger sister and her daughter.
Ms Tee Que Eng told The Star that 21-year-old Tee Kue Peng and her daughter, Estersiskah, five, have been missing since Aug 24 last year.
"It has been months and we are sad as this may be the first Chinese New Year celebration without them," she said.
The single mother left home without a word, giving her parents little clue as to why. She had taken all her belongings, including clothes, personal documents and pictures, the report said.
The family was worried that she may have run away with a man. The elder sister said that family members had not noticed anything unusual in the few days before she disappeared.
But she said the teachers at the child's kindergarten had noticed a man picking the little girl up. They said they did not recognise him, Ms Que Eng said.
She said the family is worried about the child.
"She is very attached to her grandmother and does not like to talk to strangers," she said.
Her message to her sister: "Please come home. Our parents will not be angry if you are with anyone. We just want both of you home."
Children's right groups said the missing teenagers should be given the same amount of attention as their younger counterparts.
Childline Malaysia project director Michelle Wong said runaway teens can be seen as being more able to take care of themselves. That is an "unfortunate and misguided" presumption.
"The search efforts should be the same for all children under the age of 18 because they have the right to be cared for," she said, adding that even runaway teens were at risk.
"They, too, are vulnerable to human trafficking."
Sunday 3 February 2013
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20130202-399644.html
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