Child rights advocate questions detention of Myanmar minors in intimidation case

Hartini Zainudin, founder of Yayasan Chow Kit, has questioned the lawfulness of detaining a minor in connection with an intimidation case involving four Myanmar children. The activist's remarks highlight growing concerns over the treatment of young suspects in police custody.

The case centres on four children from Myanmar who faced police action related to an intimidation matter. The detention of the youngest—a nine-year-old—has drawn particular scrutiny from child welfare advocates who argue there is no legal foundation for holding a child of such tender years in remand.

Zainudin's intervention raises broader questions about consistency in how the justice system treats minors, particularly those from vulnerable or foreign communities. She pointedly asked whether Malaysian children accused of similar offences would be subjected to the same enforcement approach.

Child protection advocates in Malaysia have increasingly called for stricter adherence to international standards and domestic laws governing the detention of minors, emphasising that children should be treated as victims or witnesses rather than perpetrators in many cases involving intimidation or coercion.