Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad acknowledged the urgent need to expedite the review and amendment of relevant Acts to better protect children from all forms of exploitation, as proposed by Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam.
Speaking at the Second Meeting of the 21st LegCo Session, the minister outlined platforms and measures implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) to address these issues. This includes strengthening the National Framework in Child Protection (NFCP), which guides the development of a comprehensive child protection ecosystem and enhances collaboration among key agencies across social, education, enforcement, and health sectors.
Key stakeholders include social workers, village leaders, non-governmental organisations, educators, law enforcement and medical professionals. These agencies play a vital role in protecting children from exploitation – including digital and psychological abuse – through early detection, intervention, and reporting mechanisms such as the Sectoral Assessment Protocol (SAP) and Child Protection Reporting Protocol (CPRP), each tailored to the four main sectors.
The minister also highlighted the Child Online Protection Framework introduced in 2013 based on the International Telecommunication Union’s initiative, which coordinates efforts to safeguard children online, amid growing risks like cyberbullying and online predators. This framework is under review to ensure it meets evolving needs.
Existing laws applicable to child protection include Sections 509 and 506 of the Penal Code, addressing offenses involving women, female adolescents and children generally. MCYS supports proposed legislative improvements, including amendments to Section 23(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act, which mandates medical officers to report suspected abuse without waiting for victim disclosure. Section 23(2) already penalises non-compliance with fines up to BND10,000.
The minister noted that the need for legislative updates was reinforced by findings from the National Consultation Workshop on the Elimination of Violence Against Children held in June, which identified gaps in current policy enforcement, especially concerning online violence and exploitation.
MCYS, together with relevant stakeholders, recognises these gaps and is committed to strengthening child protection laws and policies to effectively respond to current challenges, including online sexual crimes and grooming.
(News & pic source: Borneo Bulletin)
