Selangor steps up child protection advocacy for over 1.8 million children, with 2,306 cases recorded from January to June this year.
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government is intensifying efforts to strengthen child protection through continuous advocacy programmes to ensure the welfare and safety of more than 1.8 million children in the state are continuously safeguarded.
Selangor Women Development and Social Welfare Committee chairman Anfaal Saari said the effort is important considering Selangor faces various challenges and social issues as a state with a high population density.
In fact, from January to June this year, a total of 2,306 child-related cases were recorded in Selangor, with 1,877 of them related to care and protection, 366 cases of criminal misconduct, and 63 cases of children beyond control.
“The effort to raise children in a safe environment, free from crime and security issues, is the main focus of the state government to create a prosperous, sustainable and caring state.
“The programme in collaboration with the Yayasan Islam Darul Ehsan (YIDE) has been a continuous effort since 2004, benefitting more than 100,000 students nationwide, and is part of the effort to strengthen the child protection ecosystem in Selangor,” she said.
She said this at a press conference after launching ‘Program Advokasi Perlindungan Kanak-Kanak: Kasih Kanak-Kanak Selangor’, which was also attended by the Selangor Social Welfare Department (JKM) director Azmir Kassim, at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Silver Jubilee Hall, here today.
The programme saw 250 participants from 52 schools and tahfiz institutions under the administration of the Selangor State Education Department (JPNS), the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the Selangor Tahfiz Al-Quran Institutions Association (PITAS).
Meanwhile, Anfaal said the state government cannot only act after a crime or misconduct incident occurs, but advocacy efforts need to be carried out continuously and comprehensively.
Therefore, an approach involving collaboration among various agencies, including JPNS, JAIS, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is very important, in addition to ensuring that protection also covers children in care institutions, tahfiz centres and religious schools.
