Anfaal (second from left) interacting with participants in a game of Snakes and Ladders at the town hall session in Shah Alam. — KK SHAM/The Star
A NEW digital portal on registered care services across the state will be made accessible to the public.
The portal called “Sejagat” includes childcare centres, rehabilitation facilities and senior care providers, said Selangor executive council member Anfaal Saari.
The women empowerment and welfare committee chairman said the initiative currently in its first phase used artificial intelligence (AI) and generative technology to dynamically map and update data from multiple government agencies including the Welfare Department (JKM) and Statistics Department.
“Sejagat is a dynamic platform.
“It is designed to be flexible and responsive so that we can adjust the data as needed,” she said after attending the “Sembang Santai, Dasar Sampai” town hall programme.
The event at a hall located in a Shah Alam shopping centre involved representatives from local councils along with district and land offices.
Although the “Sejagat” portal was in its early stages and currently only accessible to selected internal stakeholders, the long-term plan was to make it publicly available, said Anfaal.
“Let’s say someone is caring for an elderly parent who has suffered a stroke.
“With Sejagat, they will be able to find the nearest registered centre offering stroke rehabilitation or senior care,” she said.
The centralised access to the data is expected to provide better direction and clarity to caregivers and families seeking welfare support, she added.
The portal, Anfaal said, was also intended to benefit local industries and policymakers.
“When the data is fully mapped, we can identify areas that has demand for services, but lack the supply.
“This helps us address mismatches between supply and demand.”
She said access to the portal might first be extended to local authorities for feedback before the full public rollout.
She added that the committee planned to present the next phase of the portal during the Selangor International Care Summit in October.
On another matter, Anfaal said she was aware that some childcare centres were reluctant to accept infants under 12 months old.
“There are concerns about accidents or negligence that some care centres do not want to take on.
“This concern is valid and needs to be taken seriously,” she said.
“It is a matter that should be discussed at federal level with Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.”
Anfaal said current regulations set by JKM was a carer-to-baby ratio of 1:3, meaning one caregiver is responsible for three children under the age of one.
She suggested the government either review this requirement or provide subsidies to childcare operators to help ease their operational burden.
“So far, I have received one or two personal complaints, but I have asked JKM Selangor to gather more detailed information on the issue,” she added.
