The five-year Indian girl who was allegedly abused by her mother has been discharged from the Seberang Jaya Hospital and is currently staying at the Taman Bakti Children’s Home in Kepala Batas according to R Chitarthany, the deputy director of Penang social welfare department.

She further added that girl will be closely monitored for a month before the department could determine the appropriate person or institution for custody.

It seems that the child is fast recovering but remains slightly traumatised in the presence of people.

The mother Malathi Raman, 41, has claimed trial after being charged in a Session Court under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Protection Act 2001.

Meanwhile, both sides of the girl’s parents have approached the welfare department for adoption.

During the few days when the girl was admitted to the hospital, her grandmother was beside her, caring for her.

Apart from the girl’s relatives, a number of children’s homes or adoption agencies have also expressed interest in adopting her.

MIC central committee member J Dhinagaran has proposed the child be either placed in the Ramakrishna Ashrama or the Child Protection Centre.

Due to intense publicity, the Sebarang Jaya hospital, the police, and the social welfare department took much interest in the welfare and well-being of the child.

It appeared as though government departments only function at the optimal level when there is intensive publicity; I hope this is not true.

In fact, all these agencies worked well to limit the number of people who came to visit the child at the hospital.

The MIC seems to have sprung into action by this incident. I hope its interest is not merely to gain some cheap publicity.

The child’s best interest

In fact, in my press releases, after visiting the child in the hospital, I suggested that the child be placed under the custody of her close relatives, particularly the grandmother who was with the child day and night.

This was merely a suggestion but some quarters have interpreted that I have “ordered” the child to be placed under the custody of the grandmother.

The social welfare department in Penang is the most appropriate agency to determine where the child will be eventually placed.

They have to do some homework before the child could be placed. Even after adoption, the department would be closely monitoring the progress of the child.

The Penang state government and my office in particular would work closely with the social welfare department to ensure the best interest of the child.

I also strongly believe that child should be placed in an environment where she could be brought up as a Hindu with proper religious and cultural expose.

I believe that children homes run by the social welfare department are not very conducive for the care and upbringing of young children, especially if they are non-Muslims.

Generally, non-Muslims fear that if unilateral conversion can take place in homes as a result of parental discord, the chances of this taking place in homes of social welfare department is possible.

There have been complaints to me in the past that some children belonging to faiths other than Islam have been allegedly converted to Islam without the knowledge of their parents or relatives.

Perhaps the department’s senior officials could clarify this matter and assure the non-Muslims that the allegations of conversions are not true.

I am not casting the blame entirely on the social welfare department. However, some bad elements might do things which are totally insensitive, casting aspersions on the good work of the department.

I strongly urge the social welfare department to ensure that young children, especially those below the age of 18 and if they are non-Muslims, be accorded their full cultural and religious rights.

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the assemblyperson for Perai.