Sarawakian woman rescues lost child on bus

NOBLE DEED: Nur Asyikin receiving a letter of commendation from Abdul Rahim for rescuing the lost toddler

KUALA LUMPUR: If it was not for a mother-of-two, three-year-old Mohd Amin Rozi may have disappeared forever after boarding a bus alone on Wednesday morning with a milk bottle in hand.

Nur Asyikin Rufi became concerned when she noticed the boy looking lost and restless as he was constantly changing seats.

The Sarawakian, in her 40s, was sitting at the back of the bus and became suspicious when she saw a foreigner speaking to the boy.

"I did what any mother would have done," she said, walking forward to rescue the child. "The boy was unresponsive when I asked him questions. So, I called 999."

Nur Asyikin then got off at Jalan Tun Hussein and carried the boy to the police station, as advised over the phone. She also lodged a report after handing the child to police officers.

"I hope this is a serious lesson learnt by every parent as such young children are naive and vulnerable."

Expressing disappointment that no one aboard the bus tried to help Amin, she said: "We should also look out for other children around us."

The police took photographs of the boy before handing him over to the Welfare Department in Jalan Pahang. Copies of his photo were distributed at the Sri Sabah flats area, where the boy was seen waiting before boarding the bus.

At 5.30pm on Wednesday, a couple arrived at the Cheras district police station, claiming their grandchild had gone missing. The boy, whom they called Amin, had apparently been sleeping while the grandfather was washing his car.

Neither of them realised the boy had woken up and wandered off. Amin's mother also arrived at the police station later to retrieve her child, but police refused to release him until a DNA test was conducted.

When the test results confirmed the grandparents and mother were indeed related to the boy and the necessary documentation were produced, Cheras acting police chief Supt Abdul Rahim Hamzah Othman allowed the child to be reunited with his family yesterday.

"What happened here is typical curiosity of children at such an age. As adults, we should be more aware of their tendencies and look out for them," said Abdul Rahman, who gave a letter of commendation to Nur Asyikin yesterday.

It was learnt the bus driver was not aware of the boy's presence as Mohd Amin was hidden among the passengers when he boarded the bus. The bus had travelled 10km before he was noticed by Nur Asyikin.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported the boy was suffering from a hyperactive disorder. His mother, Norhaslinda Hashim, 23, said she was working when informed by her mother about her missing child at about 1pm.

Norhaslinda said she would try to keep a close watch on her son from now.

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/54869-sarawakian-woman-rescues-lost-child-bus
THASHA JAYAMANOGARAN
Friday, November 12th, 2010 04:51:00