13 January, 2008

Everyone must help to find Sharlinie



Everyone must help search for five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

“We must help the police find this little girl before anything untoward happens.

“We cannot waste any time, we must find this child. Not only to save her life, but also to send a clear message to the perpetrators – don’t think that in this country, you can do whatever crime or violent act you like,” she told a press conference here yesterday.

Organising the search: Musa (left) gesturing as he makes a point during the press conference as Shahrizat and Lim look on in Petaling Jaya Thursday.
She called on local leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to start a search for Sharlinie as soon as possible.

“From what we’ve learned from Nurin’s case, we cannot waste even a minute. Every minute counts,” she said.

Eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin went missing in August last year and her body was found in a sports bag a month later.

Shahrizat urged parents to be more responsible for their children.

“We must take care of our family members, especially the little children. We have to be the ones responsible in making sure that our own families are safe.

“Maybe we feel it’s all right that an area is safe but from what I can see, no area is safe. We have to always be careful,” she said.

Asked if there was a possibility of action being taken against Sharlinie’s parents, she replied: “The normal procedure is that the Welfare Department will come in immediately to see if there was negligence or not.

“But it is too early for me to say now whether there is a case or not.

“They will start an investigation. If there is a case, then we will have to make a decision,” she said.

Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai visited Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain’s house in Taman Medan.

He said that his parliamentary service centre would give RM5,000 to anyone with information leading to her safe return.

He also distributed 5,000 posters in the area.