PUTRAJAYA, Dec 20 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry will be collaborating with the Federal Territories Mufti office to handle social issues affecting young Malaysians.

Women Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh and Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Steven Sim had a discussion with Federal Territories Mufti Datuk Seri Dzulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri at his office here today on working together to tackle the rise in underage pregnancies, baby dumping, marriages, divorces and mental health problems.

"The social welfare portfolio is a cross-religious issue and our concern is that teenagers and children who are involved in these social illnesses. We are looking on how to arrange for their rehabilitation moving forward,” Yeoh told reporters.

She said she had shared government statistics on these problems with the mufti so they could decide their future direction.

Yeoh also said she plans to engage other state muftis and all other religious leaders to overcome the youth social problems.

Dzulkifli said they will be looking at a holistic framework to handle these problems and what sort of actions can be taken within the purview of religion and culture.

Sim said his ministry will be working with the mufti’s office on how to include aspects of harmony, honesty and trustworthiness into the Malaysian Future Leader School Programme which will also begin next year.

"A cooperation with the Mufti’s Office is important to see how the Youth and Sports Ministry can strengthen our youths at a national level,” Sim said.