The recent disappearances of several girls – including a 17-year-old who vanished during a family meal at a small-town restaurant – have raised alarm among Malaysians, with one child rights group warning of the trafficking and sexual abuse risks affecting girls and young women from vulnerable communities in particular.
At least seven girls had been reported missing in the last five months, according to police. Some are believed to have run away from home, while others are feared to have been kidnapped.
In the latest case, 17-year-old Erma Fatima Shamsul Bahari disappeared after leaving a family breakfast to use a restaurant restroom on October 25 in northern Terengganu state.
“So far we have gone to two or three places where we suspected she had met up with some friends, but we have yet to make any progress on the case,” Kuala Terengganu district police chief Azli Mohd Noor told This Week in Asia on Monday.
“The case is still actively under investigation, and we have sent out word over social media [for public assistance],” he said, adding that police so far have not found evidence pointing to a possible kidnapping.
Just a few days earlier, on October 22, the father of 18-year-old Puteri Ellyana Natasha Abdullah reported that his daughter did not arrive for a scheduled pickup after finishing her shift at a restaurant in the town of Tampin, Negeri Sembilan state.
