Other

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

Assignment

Factual

Investigations and journeys into the heart of global events from BBC correspondents.

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Australasia

Assignment: Malaysia’s Runaway Children

Documentaries

News

Malaysia’s Runaway Children

24/12/2015 GMT

BBC World Service - Assignment, Malaysia’s Runaway Children

Five school children starve to death in the Malaysian jungle. Why weren't they protected?

Five school children from the Orang Asli community starve to death in the Malaysian jungle. Now their deaths have provoked a debate about education and what it means to be Malay.

The deaths of five school children in Malaysia have provoked an anguished debate about education and what it means to be Malay. The children ran away from their boarding school in Kelantan State and died of starvation in the jungle.  They were afraid of harsh punishment from their teachers. Two girls survived eating grass and wild fruits but were found emaciated and close to death 47 days later. The children came from the Orang Asli community, one of the poorest and most marginalised in the country. Lucy Ash travels to the remote region where the children came from and talks to their bereaved parents. Many families are now refusing to send their children to school and campaigners accuse the government of not doing enough to protect rights of the Orang Asli community. Jane Beresford producing.

(Image: Nora and Ayel Ajid, parents of nine-year-old Ika who died)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Assignment

Malaysia’s Runaway Children

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

About BBC World Service