Malaysia’s Dewan Rakyat passes the Social Work Profession Bill 2026, establishing a council to regulate and empower social workers nationwide.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today approved the Social Work Profession Bill 2026, which aims to establish a specific legal mechanism to regulate and empower the profession in the country through the establishment of the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council.
The Bill was passed by a majority vote after being debated by 23 Members of Parliament from both sides of the divide.
Winding up the debate, Minister of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic) said the implementation of the act will be done in stages to allow the establishment of the Council first before regulation is extended to public sector social workers.
Nancy said that at the initial stage, the act requires the registration of all private sector social work practitioners, including those serving with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations, corporate companies, and independently, while public officers only need to register if they practice social work outside their official government duties.
She said that public sector social workers are currently subject to supervision systems, training, standard operating procedures (SOPs), existing codes of ethics and regulations, in addition to needing to go through a complex coordination process between ministries and agencies before any mandatory registration mechanism can be implemented.
“The government remains committed to the long-term goal of comprehensive integrated regulation and developing a suitable legal roadmap for all social workers in the public sector and in Malaysia in general,” she said.
Nancy said the Council will later play a role in developing regulations, guidelines, and frameworks for the qualifications and competencies of the profession, in addition to establishing a complaints committee, drafting guidelines related to the safety and welfare of social workers, and considering proposals including a national social worker reciprocity plan.
She said the act does not apply to volunteers or caregivers, but only regulates professional social work practitioners, while clarifying that matters related to the minimum wage are still subject to existing laws, and the Council’s operational costs will be funded by the government via annual allocations.
According to her, the Bill also provides room for continuous improvement through regulations and guidelines that will be developed by the Council, while describing the approval of the Bill as the end of a decade-long wait to recognise the social work profession in the country.
Earlier, during the debate session, Howard Lee (PH-Ipoh Timor) proposed that social workers in the government sector should also be subject to the same professional standards as practitioners in the private sector and NGOs.
He said that the exemption for public officers from holding a practice certificate as provided under Clause 19 raises questions considering they also handle high-risk cases involving the protection of children, persons with disabilities (PWD), the elderly, and families in need of assistance.
“The people are entitled to receive the same professional standards, regardless of whether the service is provided by the government, NGOs or the private sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) suggested that the government provide various incentives, including special grants to NGOs, scholarships, and placement incentives in rural areas to ensure the implementation of the act achieves its objectives.
Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) expressed support for efforts to elevate the field of social work as a recognised profession, while emphasising that this recognition should be accompanied by the establishment of an independent and transparent body, supported by fair enforcement and balanced punishment.
Datuk Siti Aminah Aching (BN- Beaufort) hopes that the implementation of this act will produce more professional human capital through competitive career schemes across the country, including in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow.
