Shukri says the Children’s Safety in Car and Family Well-being campaign is to raise awareness of FbS and not intended to blame anyone.
Selangor is ramping up engagement sessions with nurseries and parents to prevent cases of “Forgotten Baby Syndrome” (FBS), where children are unintentionally left in parked vehicles, potentially resulting in fatal outcomes.
State women empowerment and welfare committee chairman Anfaal Saari, who launched the Children’s Safety in Car and Family Well-being campaign in March, said conversations with parents and nursery teachers helped to support children’s well-being.
“Through the Selangor Nursery Association, we have been organising engagement sessions since June to share practices and experiences to avoid FBS.
“Conversations over a cup of tea allow us to understand what is happening at nurseries as parents are often busy with their jobs, and we work together to support them,” she said when met at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam.
Anfaal emphasised the importance of collaboration between parents and nurseries.
“Our initiative is a comprehensive campaign. The first phase involved introducing a visual reminder in the form of a sticker designed to prompt parents to check their backseats before leaving their vehicles,” she said.
The sticker with words Pandang Belakang and Di mana Anak Anda Sekarang? (Look Behind and Where Is Your Child Now?) is placed on the driver’s side window, close to the door handle. Anfaal said the second phase, which started in June, has covered 20 nurseries in Gombak, Selayang and Shah Alam.
Selangor is ramping up its effort to curb child deaths in vehicles. — Filepic
Selangor Nursery Association special task committee chief Shukri Mokles said the association had organised engagement sessions with nurseries and parents to understand their lifestyles.
“Parents are getting busier and people rush around to get things done. Most working parents feel stressed, tired and rushed.
“Our conversations with parents and nurseries help raise awareness of FBS, which happens as a consequence of a momentary lapse in memory rather than neglect,” he said when met at the association’s office in Section 10, Shah Alam.
Shukri said the engagement sessions initiate discussions where stories are shared and spreads awareness of preventive strategies.
“We want parents to check the backseat and to make it a practice each time an adult exits the vehicle, especially during changes in routine.
“For the nurseries, we encourage the teachers to check or call a parent if the child is not at the nursery as scheduled,” he said.
Shukri clarified that the campaign did not seek to assign blame but instead recognised the pressures of modern life, which could affect memory.
“We also use social media to reach a wider audience. Podcasts have also gained traction.
“Sometimes, we take up booths at local council events to reach out to parents in the area,” he said.
