Check safety of housing buildings in Putrajaya, PPj urged

The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) has urged Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) to check the structural safety of all housing buildings in Putrajaya.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim made this call following several cases of children falling off buildings in Putrajaya.

In the latest case, the media reported that a four-year-old boy died yesterday after falling from the 14th floor of Block C, Phase 5R4, in Precint 5 here after his parents were believed to have left him home alone for a while.

Commenting on the incident, Rohani said it was the responsibility of all parents to always ensure the safety of children under their care.

"As parents, they must ensure the safety of their children, especially in the case of children as young as four years old, even if they are leaving them for a short while... to us that is negligence," she said.

She was speaking to the media after presenting the ministry's excellent service awards for 2015 to 656 recipients here Tuesday.

She said under the Child Act Amendment Bill, the incident could be classified as negligence for not looking after the child's safety.

"The penalty is high as it is serious and affects a life, so we hope society views these cases as very important in terms of safety," she said.