KUALA LUMPUR: Parents should do their best to avoid distractions, particularly from digital devices, when caring for their children, Alliance For A Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said.
This advice comes in the wake of recent tragedies involving toddlers being left unattended in vehicles.
Lee suggested that in the digital age, where distractions are abundant, parents should focus resolutely on their children to ensure their safety.
"This means setting aside digital devices during critical parenting moments to ensure that our full attention is on our children and their safety," he said, following a report on Nov 8 that a two-year-old girl had tragically lost her life after being left in a vehicle for eight hours in Ara Damansara.
The toddler's mother, reportedly caught up in online business matters, inadvertently overlooked dropping her child off at kindergarten.
The child was only discovered in the car at 3.35pm, already unconscious, and rushed to Sungai Buloh Hospital, where she was declared dead.
Lee added that the integration of technology can serve as a safety net.
"Simple reminders set on smartphones or more sophisticated alert systems integrated into vehicles could act as critical prompts to ensure that children are not inadvertently left unattended," he said.
There were two similar tragedies last month involving toddlers whose parents had allegedly forgotten to drop them off at daycare centres.
On Oct 24, a 16-month-old toddler was found dead after she was left inside a car at a public university in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.
Police said initial investigations showed the baby's father had forgotten to drop off his child at the university's daycare centre in the morning.
On Oct 6, an eight-month-old baby girl died when she was left in a car parked at the Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital (HCTM) in Cheras for 10 hours.
The girl was left in the vehicle when her doctor mother went to work at HCTM, mistakenly thinking that she had already sent the child to a daycare centre.
Lee said these recent tragedies underscore a critical issue demanding immediate attention: the delicate balance between work responsibilities and family safety.
He described the scenarios as distressingly familiar, where a hurried parent, entangled in daily tasks and professional obligations, makes a fatal oversight with irreversible consequences.
"It highlights an aspect of modern life that we, too, often overlook, which is the dire need for work-life balance and the implementation of initiatives to protect our most vulnerable.
"At the heart of these tragedies lies the stark reality that the pressures of the workplace are encroaching more and more upon our personal lives.
"The mother, preoccupied with "online business matters", represents a societal segment struggling to juggle professional duties with the demands of parenthood," he said today.
To prevent such heartbreaking occurrences, Lee proposed a multifaceted approach involving both systemic change and personal vigilance.
Employers, he insisted, must recognise the intense strain on working parents and provide supportive measures, such as flexible working hours, remote work options, and parental leave policies.
"They are necessities that can provide parents with the means to manage caregiving responsibilities adequately.
"There is a profound need for cultural shifts in our approach to work and family life. Companies and society at large must prioritise the well-being of employees and their families. Work should not impinge upon our ability to care for our loved ones," he said.
Lee said public awareness campaigns are essential where parents and caregivers should be educated about the dangers of leaving children in cars, even for a short period.
"These campaigns could disseminate best practices such as "look before you lock" and keep essential items like a purse or briefcase in the backseat as additional reminders to check for the child." he said.
On a governmental level, Lee suggested a review and strengthening of policies that protect child welfare.
"Regulations could mandate the installation of rear-seat reminder systems in all new vehicles, similar to the compulsory inclusion of rear-view cameras.
"In our community-centric society, we can also lean on the "it takes a village" philosophy.
"Neighbours, educators, and friends should be encouraged to look out for one another, offering support or assistance when they notice someone struggling to manage their responsibilities." he added.
