GEORGE TOWN, Aug 8 — The Penang Welfare Department is still trying to trace the parents or guardians of 18 children rescued from a warehouse in Bukit Mertajam last month, with the lack of documentation for most of them proving to be a major obstacle.
State Social Development, Welfare, and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim said today that 12 of the children lack any personal documents, leaving their citizenship status unknown.
“Out of the 20 children rescued from the warehouse, only seven had proper documentation. The guardians for two of the children have since come forward to take them home,” Lim said on the sidelines of the AI Horizon 2025 conference.
Among the 18 children remaining in state care is a newborn baby, who also does not have a birth certificate.
The children, all under the age of 16, were rescued by the welfare department from two premises, including a warehouse that was allegedly used as an illegal childcare centre, on July 21.
“We’ve been trying to trace their guardians or family members, but the lack of documentation has made it difficult,” Lim said, adding that the department may need to make public appeals through the media for relatives to come forward.
Initial investigations suggest that some of the children could have been placed at the premises for at least two years.
The rescued children have been interviewed by psychologists, and most of them can only speak Mandarin.
“We are still investigating their citizenship status with the help of several other agencies,” Lim said.
The children are currently placed in a safe facility under the care of the state welfare department after the department obtained a temporary custody order from the Bukit Mertajam court.
“All the children are receiving proper care, and the welfare department is also providing activities that support their physical and emotional well-being,” she said.
