The parents: Mohamad Munir, 44, associate trainer; and his wives Hayati Abdul Rahman, 42, part-time nursing care helper; and Bedah Busrah, 41, hospital administrator

Their children: Mohamad Firdaus, 17; Nur Iwani, 16; Mohamad Wira, nine; Ahmad Abdullah, seven; Mohamad Afnan, four; Siti Hadijah, four; and Mohamad Luqman, nine months

Mr Munir starts talking to his children about sex, affection and love when they are just four years old. He does so to enrich them with the right knowledge as well as to keep them from harm's way.

"There are paedophiles lurking around, so children need to know from an early age what is considered appropriate behaviour."

Beyond that, the former army regular believes that sharing information with his children helps to build mutual trust.

But why start so young? "This is the age when they start to socialise with children other than their own siblings," he says. His children start attending nursery at that age.

The intensity and depth of information he shares increase as they get older.

"When they are young, my wives and I will explain why their parents kiss and when they go to primary school, we tell them about pregnancy and where babies come from. When they reach puberty, we talk about boy-girl relationships and the actual act of sexual intercourse."

He has no qualms going into explicit details such as talking about sperm and eggs "because the foundation was built when they were young". The trained nurse adds that most of the information he gives to his children are done verbally and not through any visual aids.

There is also no fixed time to talk about the subject as he prefers to address it when the need arises.

His no-holds-barred approach is paying off: His children approach him whenever they are curious about anything.

His elder daughter, Nur Iwani, says: "When I learnt about the human reproductive organs in Secondary 1, I asked my dad questions on the subject when I got home. It was good because I was too shy to ask my teacher in class."

The Secondary 4 student also told her parents about her boyfriend, with whom she got together last year. But this was not before her father spoke to her about the perils of unwanted pregnancies.

"I told her that something that is pleasurable for a short moment could be disastrous if she does not consider the implications," says Mr Munir, referring to sexual intercourse.

Although concerned, he did not attempt to break up the couple. Instead, he asked his daughter to bring the boy home. "I wanted them to understand that a relationship involves values and the whole family, and it is not just the two of them," he says.

As far as physical intimacy goes, the deeply religious man made it clear that any form of premarital bodily contact is not allowed, as set out in Islamic teachings. "I know that being young, there is a chance they might experiment, but even then, it is important for them to know that it is wrong," he emphasises.

He refuses to blame the mass media for the increasing trend of sexual activity among teenagers here.

"As parents, we should anticipate that our children will see or hear things from TV programmes or the Internet, so we must be ready to guide them along."

He also believes that educators have crucial roles to play in this matter. "Schools can help by teaching students about the right attitudes and equipping them with social and emotional skills."

This article was first published in The Straits Times.