PETALING JAYA: The shocking rescue of more than 400 children who were allegedly abused and abandoned in various care homes makes the case for passing the Social Work Profession Bill in Parliament even stronger, child activists say.
The Social Work Profession Bill, which was drafted in 2010, would provide better regulation on social work, seeing that it is currently not recognised as a profession in the country.
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Passing the Bill would usher in better accountability from those hired as social workers, especially in homes that care for children, they said.
Child Rights Innovation and Betterment Foundation co-chairman Srividhya Ganapathy said there is an urgent need to allocate more funds towards improving and enhancing the country’s social welfare system, other than passing the Bill.
She said a review and reform must be applied on the current system for the regulation, monitoring and management of children under care.
“It’s horrific and that is the tip of the iceberg. We don’t know the full extent of the abuse yet, or the actual number of victims, given that police reports have been lodged since 2011 on some of these homes.
“At present, our systems are underequipped and underfunded to support such a large number of victims, and that must be our first priority,” she said when contacted yesterday.
Srividhya was commenting on the rescue of 402 children aged between one and 17 during a large-scale police operation involving 18 care homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan on Sept 11.
The children were believed to be victims of abuse and those who were abandoned.
In an open letter to the government, consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS questioned the authorities over the shocking revelation of the children rescued from the homes, which were linked to religious teachings.
Dr Amar, who is also a child-disability activist, said the Child Act is clear as it covers all children, and the Welfare Department is the designated protector of all children in the country.
“When working with the Welfare Department, we noticed a reluctance to monitor and enforce child protection policies in religious institutions.
“Is religion an excuse to not enforce the Child Act? Are childcare facilities registered under the religious department and the Education Ministry exempt from the Child Act and Welfare Department purview?” he said in a letter endorsed by 15 organisations and 23 individuals.
The letter also questioned whether the centres allegedly linked to a company have been registered with the Welfare Department, and if proper monitoring was put in place.
