PUTRAJAYA: The proposed Social Work Profession Bill will apply to both private sector practitioners and public servants who carry out social work outside their official duties, says Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister stated that the draft bill aims to establish a clear institutional framework for the regulation and recognition of social workers in Malaysia, ensuring the profession is structured and standardised nationwide.
"One of the key policy provisions in the Bill is that it will apply to all social work practitioners in the private sector as well as public servants who engage in social work outside their official government duties.
"This provision reflects the government’s intention to accommodate the views of all stakeholders as much as possible," she said in reply to a question raised by Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) during the Minister's Question Time, here on Thursday (Nov 6).
Rodziah had asked the ministry to state the mechanism to ensure that the Social Work Profession Bill regulates social workers in the public sector, adding that a bill that does not apply to the public sector would find it difficult to gain recognition or support from all stakeholders, particularly the social work community.
Nancy said feedback and input from relevant stakeholders such as federal ministries and agencies, state governments, corporate entities, academics, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were gathered through several engagement sessions held on the draft Bill.
"As a result of these engagement sessions, my ministry received and considered various feedback, including issues related to key policy determinations such as the definition of social work itself and the applicability of the Bill to social work practitioners in both the public and private sectors.
"My ministry has decided that the best approach for now is to reassess and review the need for policy adjustments and their feasibility," she said.
Further engagement sessions with all relevant stakeholders, such as federal and state government agencies with social work positions, would need to be held if the government intends to amend the policy provisions of the Bill, including its full application to public sector social work practitioners, added Nancy.
"A detailed explanation of the regulatory mechanisms and scope of implementation can only be provided once the policy decisions are finalised," she said.
The Social Work Profession Bill, which was delayed from being tabled in the last sitting, has been pushed by social work groups as crucial for specifying the roles of social workers, ensuring competence and helping to bridge the shortage of qualified workers in the field.
Drafting of the Social Work Profession Bill commenced in 2010 and was tipped to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat last year.
Groups have since said the delay in tabling the Bill is hindering the regulation of the profession and the development of the necessary manpower to support the sector.
