TEENAGE GIRLS ADVISED TO USE INTERNET, FACEBOOK WISELY

Teenage girls advised to use Internet, Facebook wisely

KOTA KINABALU June 9, 2012: Teenage girls are advised to be cautious and use the Internet and Facebook wisely in a positive way.

Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides Association Malaysia Sabah Branch, Normah Datuk Jaffar, said girls should not keep wanting to have fun without using their intellect to assess a situation.

Normah was referring to a 13-year-old girl who stood by her decision to have sex with her 16-year-old lover who is a school dropout working as a cook in Kuala Lumpur.

The two met through Facebook and their relationship became known to her family when she went missing for three days last month.

Normah said that when officiating at the state-level Sabah branch Ranger Guides programme programme here yesterday, representing the president of the association, Datuk Naomi Chong.

“Even if you have a boyfriend, it has to be positive. Let your parents know (that you have a boyfriend) and don’t let it affect your education,” she advised.

In her speech, Normah hoped that the girl guides would be more aware and concerned about current issues pertaining to teenagers and to help find effective solutions.

These include relationships, financial issues, academic, peer issues, bullying and others, she said.

She urged the girl guides to read books or blogs with contents that could positively help in the problems they were facing.

On the programme itself, Normah said the girl guides carried out community work by planting trees at the Sabah Wetland Sanctuary on Thursday.

The community work was carried out in conjunction with World Environmental Day and coincided with the world theme this year, ‘We Can Save Our Planet’.

She added that girl guides nationwide will also carry out various environmental activities in line with the theme.

In the annual general meeting on Thursday, Normah said the participants proposed several community-based programmes to be carried out between June this year to June 2013.

These include visit to old folks home, community service at hospitals and organizing leadership courses.

The programme was attended by 47 Ranger Guides from eight districts including Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Tawau, Kuala Penyu, Sandakan, Tuaran, Kota Belud and Papar.

There are currently more than 8,000 girl guides in Sabah, with around 500 in Kota Kinabalu.

Also present was organising chairperson Shirley Wong.