The pregnant mother of four whose husband was killed and eight-year-old daughter raped is now contemplating legal action against the police for failure to protect her family in their hour of need.

Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia pro tem secretary-general and lawyer P Uthayakumar who has taken up her case said the family has moved home three times to evade harassment and are very disappointed with the police's 'non-action' since the rape incident.

"The family is now on the run. Even though a total of 12 police reports have been lodged by the family asking for help, the police have refused and failed in providing protection for them," Uthayakumar told malaysiakini .

"I am disgusted that the police have not taken action. Even though they are equipped with their Special Branch, their anti-triad squad and their serious crimes division, they still could not help," Uthayakumar said.

The eight-year-old child was kidnaped and raped on July 12 by five alleged gangsters and following a police report made on the matter, the family faced constant harassment from them. Another child in the family was abducted and assaulted before the child was released.

Traumatised by the experience, the eight-year-old attempted suicide by swallowing pain-killers.

The father, the sole breadwinner, was murdered last Wednesday by parang-wielding assailants in what was believed to be vengeance for the police reports lodged by him. The police, however, had refuted this claim.

Letters of appeal

According to Uthayakumar, officers from the Welfare Department have agreed to meet with the family tomorrow.

"We have written letters to the Ministry of National Unity and Social Development and we are requesting its minister Dr Siti Zaharah Sulaiman to look into the matter. We have also sent a letter to the Women and Family Development ministry," he said.

In the letter to Siti Zaharah dated Oct 31, the family have appealed for guarantee of security, an emergency fund to provide for the single mother until she had delivered her baby and gotten a job, that she be provided with housing, allowance for her children and counselling for her and her children.

Uthayakumar added that a letter had been sent to deputy prime minister and Home Affairs minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but there was no response from the minister.