Relax - Family attractions have child-safety measures

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A family outing turned into a frenzied affair for Ms Koh Hui Jun, 35, when she lost sight of her then four-year-old son in the crowded Lot 1 Shoppers' Mall in Choa Chu Kang two years ago.

The pastor from Renewal Christian Church frantically scoured the mall, but was not able to find him.

She then approached the information counter - and was relieved to find him there.

Ms Koh recalled: "I was so worried, but thankfully someone took him to the counter, where the staff looked after him."

Concerns about children's safety in public places emerged after a Singaporean woman, who called herself Ms Gigi, wrote to citizen-journalism website Stomp about her experience at Hong Kong Disneyland two months ago.

She said she and her husband lost sight of their five- year-old daughter while in a restaurant there.

Five minutes later, they spotted her sitting at a corner table with two women who Ms Gigi said were "suspicious-looking".

Although the Disneyland spokesman and Hong Kong police later said there was no evidence of child abduction, Singapore parents are now more vigilant and cautious of lurking dangers at popular family spots, such as malls and amusement parks.

Read also:
Tourist draws geared up to deal with missing kids

Ms Koh's case is not the first instance of children going missing here.

In May 1986, two 12-year-old schoolboys disappeared without a trace. They had left their bags in school and walked to a shop nearby to buy some sweets. Toh Hong Huat and Keh Chin Ann have been missing since.

Although police statistics on missing children under the age of 12 were unavailable, about 3,000 Singaporeans reportedly go missing each year.

The number includes elderly folk who suffer from dementia and youth from troubled families who run away. Seven in 10 missing people are reunited with their next of kin, a police spokesman said in May.

When contacted, a police spokesman said that there is no minimum time required for a missing person to have lost contact with his family members before a missing-person report can be lodged.

Family members can lodge such a report at any police service counter.

Strangers may attempt to lure children away from parents using items such as toys or small animals, said Dr Dora Chen, head of Temasek Polytechnic's Preschool Learning Academy.

Two mall operators - VivoCity, and Frasers Centrepoint which runs nine malls - said they have measures in place to ensure that their premises are safe for families.

Four tourist-attraction operators - Sentosa Leisure Group, the Singapore Flyer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) - also have security procedures in place in the event children get separated from their parents.

These include pre-emptive measures like numerous signs that remind parents to "keep your child near you at all times", which were spotted all over Sentosa when my paper visited the island last month.

Parents are also advised to take precautionary measures to help keep their children safe, said Mr Robin Goh, the assistant director of communications at RWS.

They should brief their children on what to do if they get lost before they embark on an outing, he added.

Overall, several parents say they are satisfied with the security measures at family attractions and shopping malls here.

Still, Ms Khor Bee Chee, 30, a life-sciences specialist, will remain hawk-eyed. She is not one to let her two children, aged three and six, go unguarded.

When my paper checked out the kids' playground at the Singapore Zoo one Sunday afternoon, the vigilant mother was seen keeping an eye on her children, who were happily splashing about in a wading pool.

More than 100 kids were playing, watched by their parents, some of whom joined in the fun.

While deploying more guards at these play areas will give Ms Khor a greater sense of security, she said: "At the end of the day, parents should be responsible for their child's safety."

For more my paper stories click here.

Family attractions have child-safety measures

By Annabelle Liang and Pamela Chow, my paper | Wed, Aug 3 2011

Parents more vigilant and cautious of lurking dangers at popular family spots.

Family attractions have child-safety measures

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