PETALING JAYA: The ongoing delay in tabling the Social Work Profession Bill is hindering regulation of the profession and development of the necessary manpower to support the sector, says the Malaysian Association of Social Workers.
Its president Dr Teoh Ai Hua warned that without proper professional recognition, anyone can claim to be a social worker or do social work.
“It can give a very ambiguous image of social work or workers, but for us it is a professional occupation.
“As such, it has to be managed by qualified people, so this is where the Bill will help shape the profession of social workers in this country,” he said in response to the Bill’s tabling in the Dewan Rakyat running into another delay until next year.
Teoh said although social work education has been established for decades, there remains a lack of data and policies regarding the profession.
“The drafting of the Bill, which goes back to 2010, is crucial and has gone through numerous consultations with stakeholders, changes in ministers, senior officials, and governments to ensure understanding of its importance,” he added.
Regarding the number of social workers needed to meet the sector’s demand, Teoh reiterated that without adequate regulation and registration, it is challenging to identify service providers and their qualifications.
While he acknowledged the valuable contributions of NGOs working alongside the government, he said there are still no clear distinctions between them, other than their registration status.
When asked about the Bill’s contents, Teoh, who has been involved in its drafting since 2010, compared it to regulations governing professions such as medicine, law and engineering.
“The Bill will have provisions on how the government can set up a regulatory board or council, giving it the authority to set standards for the profession, including registration and regulation processes.”
He said the Bill would also enable the government to determine the number of social workers required to manage caseloads effectively, both in government and NGO settings.
Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, a senior visiting fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, said as the country moves toward becoming a high-income nation, it faces numerous social challenges.
He said social workers can work with target groups to mitigate risks associated with fast- paced urbanisation and modernisation towards a high-income and affluent society.
“We must view social investment as essential as infrastructure development. We have neglected the social aspects of families who cannot cope with the complexities of urbanisation and the breakdown of social support systems.
“This is a pity as many policies do not see the urgency of the Bill as there is a mindset that assumes a heart is all you need and volunteerism can resolve complex problems. Some even think a cash handout is sufficient.
“Political will is needed. With a very small number of professionally qualified people in the social sector, there’s a crisis at hand.”
Sheema Sen Gupta, Unicef’s director of child protection, recently called for the expedited passage of the game-changing Bill, given the recent case involving hundreds of abused children.
“I don’t know if there is a resistance because in my over 20 years with Unicef, I have never met someone or a government official in any country in the world who doesn’t want to protect children.
“So, I don’t think it’s resistance, sometimes it’s priorities” she said, adding that establishing a professional service of social workers would strengthen the system.
