NUR ALERT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER CABINET APPROVAL

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The early warning system on missing children
known as NUR Alert (National Urgent Response Alert) will be implemented
immediately after Cabinet approval, said Women, Family and Community Development
Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said her ministry together with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had
finalised details on the system.

"I am confident the Cabinet will give its approval for the implementation of the
NUR Alert system at its next meeting. I am hoping this system can be implemented
without delay as we want to ensure children 12 years and below are adequately
proteted.

"If children in this category go missing, the system can be immediately
activated," she told reporters after holding a meeting on the matter with PDRM
representatives here Thursday.

Shahrizat said the meeting decided that PDRM would chair the NUR Alert system
because they had the authority and infrastructure to ensure effective delivery
while the ministry would be the deputy chairman.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Hussin Ismail said the system
would enable information on missing children to be disseminated to police
stations, ministries, government agencies, departments and corporate bodies
speedily.

"For children below 12 who go missing, the CID will take charge of
investigations, and from there pertinent information of the case will be
disseminated through personnel entrusted with the task.

"These personnel are from various agencies, ministries, corporate bodies like
airports, ports and the Transport Ministry which will disseminate the
information to bus, taxi and train terminils while the media and blogs would
also be notified," he said, adding that the Foreign Ministry would also be
enlisted especially in cases where it is feared the child might be brought out
of the country.

He said since January till November last year, 57 children below 12 went missing
with 35 of them rediscovered compared to 50 missing and 45 rediscovered in 2009.

In 2008, only seven children below 12 went missing with only one
rediscovered.

As for children 18 and below but above 12 years, Hussin said 711 children were
reported missing from January till November last year with 347 rediscovered
while the figures for 2009 were 1,048 and 497 respectively.

In 2008, 1,174 children in this category went missing with 655 found back.

Asked whether the system would also be used for children 12 to 18 as more
children in this category went missing, Hussin said this might be done at a
later stage.

"PDRM has standard operating procedures (SOPs) for missing children in either of
the categories but the NUR Alert system for now will focus on children aged 12
and below," he said.
-- BERNAMA