NILAI: Parents or family members should not hide the strange behaviour of their young ones as this could be due to a mental disorder and should seek immediate treatment for them.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister, Datuk Siti Zailah Yusof said this was to avoid a detrimental situation if the condition was allowed to fester.

"The closest family members should be responsible if they see their young's strange behaviour and the relevant authority be told about it. As for the neighbours, they should report to the police or other relevant authorities or channels if they hear screams and fights.

"They can phone or send a text through the short message service (SMS)....we need to be a caring and responsible community with regard to safety," she told reporters after handing over used furniture from Singapore to flood victims in Mantin, here, yesterday.

This was following an incident where a 68-year-old woman in Parit Buntar, Perak was believed to have been killed and her body cut into 15 parts by her own son.

The 42-year-old suspect had received treatment as a mental patient at a private hospital in Penang 20 years ago but did not receive follow-up treatment after that.

Concerned about the increasing lack of love and respect among family members, Siti Zailah said the family institution must be strengthened while parents needed to educate their children so as not to get involved in undesirable activities, including through religious education.

Meanwhile, she said the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) had undertaken various initiatives to build the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) into a harmonious and resilient one including through the Jelajah Kasih Keluarga (Family Love Tour) programme.

She said 304,982 of the Skuad WAJA volunteers under the Women's Development Department had been mobilised to provide aid and psychosocial services to the community when needed.

Siti Zailah also urged all quarters including individuals and companies to channel contributions such as furniture and household items which they wished to dispose off but were still in good condition, to flood victims.

She said that between November 2021 and March this year, the floods caused by the northeast monsoon had adversely affected 50,814 families across the country with 181,979 victims evacuated to the relief centres.

-- BERNAMA