The Malaysian Insight

PATIENCE and then some more.

That and an ability to suppress one’s emotions are what Muha Anun Mohd Noor, a manager at a halfway home for female delinquents, said are vital in her role as a counsellor to the troubled young girls who enrol into the Raudhatus Sakinah Guidance Centre for Female Adolescents (RS).

Established almost 20 years ago by a civil group, RS was set up to provide a space to counsel and guide wayward girls, and to help them get their lives back on track.

The job of its 10 wardens and 20 counsellors is fraught with challenges, as many of the girls come with problems ranging from a broken family, history of sexual abuse from family members and addictions to drugs to pornography and sex.

The Malaysian Insight yesterday reported on two girls with a porn and sex addiction currently receiving guidance and counselling at RS.

In recent years, Muha said more of the troubled girls, whom the centre refers to as “trainees”, lacked a sense of moral compass and principles.

“When we teach them, we have to start off being very patient, rational and calm. We are like older sisters to these girls.”

An average of 50 girls are enrolled in their centres every year, and each comes with different issues and problems.

“The teenagers these days, the issue of morals has not been addressed at an early age.

“In the past, we had troubled teens who got into sexual deviancy but they had good attitudes and morals. But these days, they come with attitude and morality issues, too,” said Muha, who has been managing the centre for a decade.

RS runs three branches, located in Selangor, Malacca and Penang. The system and operations in each branch are the same – one warden is assigned to 10 trainees, all of whom are required to live in the halfway house for a minimum of 14 months.

Apart from religious and spiritual guidance, RS also provides leisure activities and skills training, such as sewing, cooking and craft-making.

The girls who come in to the centre battle problems ranging from pornography addiction to unplanned pregnancies. Some are brought in by their family members after they were found to be victims of incestuous rape.

Surviving on donations

The cost of running three centres reaches some RM60,000 a month, a huge sum of which more than 60% comes from the community in the form of donations, said RS chief executive officer Rosmawati Zainal.

Each trainee is charged a monthly fee of RM300, although some have their fees waived if the girls’ families cannot afford it, said Rosmawati.

“We’re not looking at the money. This is a process to build up the spirit of these children. We need the organisation to educate the public. We know it’s a lot of money to ask for.

“But at RS, our spending is very moderate. We don’t use air-conditioners. We prioritise need, not want,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

In Selangor, where the number of trainees is the highest at 30 girls, only 15% of the total cost is borne by fees, while assistance from the Selangor Islamic Council provides about 25% of the expenses.

“To cover our cost, we are helped by Pusat Zakat, and most importantly, donations from the public,” said Rosmawati.

A check by The Malaysian Insight found that there is no allocation under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development for halfway homes.

No specific allocation from Budget 2017 has been given to the civil society-run homes aiming to combat social problems.

“I don’t think there are specific allocations. We have applied for aid twice from the welfare department but they have yet to reach a decision,” said Rosmawati.

Parents’ responsibilities

Rosmawati said the vision of the centre was to help the troubled girls shake off their past, and have a second chance at living a good life.

But she makes clear to parents who enrol their daughters at RS that the centre was merely facilitating a change in their child’s behaviour. It was ultimately the parents’ responsibility to guide their daughters.

“In Selangor alone, we have so many troubled youth. Not all of our trainees are pregnant, some have social problems.

“We just want our children to change their ways.”

She said even though the girls are required to live in RS, parents are not allowed to just dump their girls at the centre, but are instead encouraged to visit often.

Rosmawait said some parents who are divorced, or who live far away and cannot afford to travel frequently to visit their daughters are given exemptions.

“But we ensure that nobody enrols a daughter into RS only to pass the buck on to someone else.” – September 22, 2017.