Street children problem among issues discussed
KOTA KINABALU:
A legal framework to tackle the street children problem was among the issues discussed between the Prime Minister and the State Barisan Nasional leaders here yesterday. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee when met after the meeting, said it was important to tackle the street children issue now before it gets any worse. “The existing street children are already in the second generation now. If we do not tackle it soon, their population might rise to thousands and it would be difficult to tackle then,” he said, adding each street kid comes from different background. “Meaning, sometimes both of their parents are foreigners or either one of the parents is foreigner. We have to approach the issue differently and we have to come up with a legal framework to tackle it. They are not actually committing any offence. They are just on the streets, thus causing social problems. “This is human misery and if not tackled fast, it would create a bigger problem in the future,” he said. Asked whether he had voiced out the non-representation of SAPP in the Federal Cabinet, Yong answered: “We had spoken the issue in general.” Parti Bersatu Sabah President Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan described the one-to-one meeting with Abdullah as cordial, stressing that they had the Premier’s full attention deliberating on heartfelt issues. “We had also raised on the oil royalty issue, hoping that the Federal Government would consider to review it positively,” he said. Pairin also said that they had also raised the issue pertaining to the appointment of the High Court Judge for Sabah and Sarawak, which is currently being done by the Registrar at the High Court of Malaya. “We are all in Malaysia. We have our rights and boundaries, rules and regulations. It is a matter they need to look at. There is a need for administrative change so that we will be able to appoint our own High Court Judge,” he said. Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and Liberal Democratic Party President Datuk V K Liew had also raised similar issues.
