KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development recorded that from January to May this year, 3,957 children across the country required care and protection due to various cases.
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said 2,522 of them were girls and 1,435 boys, adding that Sabah had the highest number of children in need of care and protection at 533, followed by Johor (523) and Kuala Lumpur (427).
“This is quite worrying. For this reason, the ministry is taking various measures, including the implementation of the Child Protection Advocacy Programme: Kasih Kanak-Kanak, to educate children on their rights and how to report (to the authorities) if they are exposed to or involved in dangerous situations such as abuse and neglect.
“This is important because many of these cases are not committed by strangers but by family members, which makes it difficult when it happens at home. Who will help the children to file a report?” she asked.
She was speaking to reporters here today after launching the Terengganu-level child protection advocacy programme: Kasih Kanak-Kanak at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman II.
She said the ministry registered 7,658 children in need of care and protection nationwide last year, including 4,892 girls and 2,766 boys. She added that Selangor reported the highest number of children at 1,321, followed by Johor (1,033) and Kuala Lumpur (923).
Meanwhile, she said, between January and May this year, 132 children in Terengganu, including 85 girls and 47 boys, were in need of care and protection.
According to them, these include 63 children who were abandoned by their parents or guardians, 24 children who were assaulted or sexually abused, 13 children who were physically abused and 11 children who were not protected by their parents or guardians, resulting in them being injured or sexually abused.
In this context, she considers it crucial to implement the advocacy programme nationwide and especially in schools in order to improve children’s understanding of situations in which they should receive care and protection, among other things.
“That’s why our advocacy program is no longer aimed at adults. We go to schools to talk to children so that they have confidence that there are ways for them to protect themselves,” she added.