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.
Passing the Act 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.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri had been aiming to table the Social Work Profession Bill in Parliament in March, after outstanding issues were resolved.
Among proposals included in the Bill’s draft is the formation of a professional council that would be responsible for recognising, registering, and overseeing social work practices nationwide.
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 if the centres allegedly linked to a company have been registered with the Welfare Department, and if proper monitoring was put in place.
Highlighting the 41 police reports lodged between 2011 until this year against the company in charge or linked to the homes, Dr Amar asked how many of the reports related to childcare and abuse were addressed.
"Did the police notify the Welfare Department if any childcare issues or abuse was suspected as is a mandated requirement under the Child Act 2001?” he said, adding that the answers need to be made public.
He also argued that there is a need to have mandatory licensing and monitoring of all childcare facilities.
"We recognise that the Welfare Department is grossly understaffed, but the solution is not to take in more untrained individuals, but to push very hard to employ trained social workers.
"This also means making concerted effort to grow our social worker training in the country. We need minimum standards of care for all children in care situations, and mandatory licensing and monitoring of all childcare facilities."
