KUCHING: The state government is looking forward to strengthening its integrated network with federal government agencies to handle social ills affecting young Malaysians.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said fostering such collaborative efforts with strategic partnership agencies was vital in advocating social support system.
“I would like to give recognition to our strategic partner government agencies.
“Through our collaborative efforts, we have produced few strategic plans, standard operating procedure and intervention programmes for community wellbeing,” she said at the Ramah Mesra Gawai Raya programme with the ministry’s strategic partners at Majma Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Hall here on Monday night.
Among the inter-government agencies involved were Sarawak Health Department, Women and Family Department, Social Welfare Department, Sarawak Education Department, Sarawak National Registration Department, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department, Royal Malaysian Police, Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, National Anti-Drugs Agency, Immigration, Resident and District office and Drug Prevention Association Malaysia.
Citing collaborative efforts as good example in ensuring the effectiveness of the implementation of the action plan, Fatimah noted that the approach had seen positive impacts.
“We set up the One Stop Centre programme to address issues, for example sexual education and awareness advocacy programme for teenage pregnancy.
“MIDS (drugs and substance abuse prevention) Committee to address drug substance issue as well as the One-Stop Crisis Centre to handle domestic violence cases,” she said.
She revealed that the number of teenage pregnancy cases had slightly increased from 2,130 in 2017 to 2,153 last year.
“As of March this year, 476 teenage pregnancy cases had been recorded.”
On drug abuse, Fatimah quoted statistics that showed the arrests of 20,438 involving with drugs.
“145 cases involving 309 arrests are under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the death sentence if convicted,” she added.
Voicing her concerns on the recent rape case involving a 12-year-old boy, Fatimah cited that out of 233 suspects, 58 of them were children.
“Domestic sexual violence cases — 253 victims, 199 are among the children,” she said.
To save the lives of the children, the public are urged to contact any of the two helplines at 082-448 866 or 1800-22-5566 and 082-514 141, a 24-hour hotline launched by JKMS to provide assistance regarding social welfare.
