KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail called on parents to run background checks on prospective babysitters for their children to avoid any tragic incident.

Commenting on the nine-month-old boy in Sibu who died after he was allegedly abused, Dr Wan Azizah expressed grief over the tragedy.

"I know in some circumstances you can’t really choose but then you have to be more selective of who you send your child to,” she said.

"With the launch of a programme to enable parents to run background checks on babysitters this March, we hope such such incidents will be reduced,” she said after launching the Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening (ROSE) programme here, today.

Yesterday, Aariz Harraz Zahin Azman, who was in critical condition after allegedly abused by his babysitter at Taman Permai, Sibu, succumbed to his injuries at the Sibu Hospital.

Meanwhile, on the proposal by the PKR women’s wing to have a quota of  30 per cent of electoral seats allocated to women candidates, Dr Wan Azizah said the proposal has not been submitted.

"They have not presented it yet, we just have to listen to them when they present it,”said the PKR Advisory Council chairman. 

Yesterday PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin proposed for electoral reforms in the country among them having a quota of 30 per cent electoral seats allocated to women candidates.

Zuraida said the proposal was included in the electoral reforms which had been proposed by Wanita PKR. — Bernama