I am 29 years old, a professional, and for the last three years a volunteer with a human rights NGO.

I would like to comment on the newspaper reports on children's homes who receive donations from corporations and individuals.

This children's homes are not orphanages strictly. Most of the children do have at least one parent still around who are capable of taking care of the said child. They are just too poor or uneducated.

In my five years of experience in volunteering for two homes in Kajang, Selangor, I find that these homes are lacking in professionalism and commitment.

After taking in a child, if the child becomes uncontrollable for any reason e.g. extreme naughtiness, disobedience, the home's management sends the child back to his/her parent(s).

Child psychologists say this is very traumatic. There should be gradual change in home environment, not a sudden change.

I have also noted that the child's view is not taken into account even though he/she may already be old enough to have an opinion.

Here, I must blame the government for not properly enforcing the Child Protection Act and the Child Care Centres Act.

In Kajang, I find that the Social Welfare Department relies heavily on children's homes to take in children whom the department cannot accommodate. Because of this, standards drop.

The staff in private children's homes are not really qualified and some abuse the children. I have seen it with my own eyes. For children who have had abusive parents, this is like a second blow.

It is very distressing to see some of the punishments these children have had to endure under the homes' staff.

I suppose I may be judging the situation just by the two children's homes in Kajang. Maybe other homes in the Klang Valley and the rest of Malaysia are well run. I hope so.

Also, most of these homes are run by Christian organisations. Being Christian myself, I have to say I am ashamed that some homes force young children to attend church against the child's wishes.

Whatever happened to freedom of worship? The children should be taught basic morals first. In this respect, I think Pure Life Society, for one, is doing a fair job.

I hope newspapers will investigate and report critically when these homes seek help and publicity for fund-raising activities. Are these funds being used wisely or are they to be used to build a bigger home because the contractor is related to a committee member on the board of management?

Personally, I'm trying to help a 12-year-old boy who was kicked out of a home in Kajang because he dared to run away a few times and speak up on the abuse he underwent in the home. He is presently staying with his mom.

I doubt the mom is responsible enough to take care of him, more so as she lives in Rawang which is far from Kajang. I'm monitoring the situation and if need be, I may refer the boy and his mom to Shelter 5 in SS17 PJ for counselling by a qualified counsellor.

Alex Tan