KUCHING, May 7 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is in the midst of setting up a Child Development Department to provide comprehensive support services to children in the country.

Its Minister Datuk Sri Nancy Shukri said this would be one of the initiatives that her ministry is working on to better protect the welfare of children and women.

"God willing, we are here to keep improving the situation of our childcare services. The way forward is for the ministry to materialise a child development department, which we are now in the process of doing, following the announcement in Budget 2023,” she said when met by reporters after launching the Kuching Rotary Charity Run 2023 at the CityONE Megamall here today.

She said this when asked to comment on the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur, which recently sentenced Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali to 12 years in jail after finding her guilty of neglecting and abusing Bella, a teenage girl with Down syndrome.

During the tabling of Budget 2023 in February this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Nancy’s ministry would establish a Child Development Department under the purview of the Social Welfare Department to provide more comprehensive support services to children.

On the Bella incident, Nancy said she was glad that the case had been closed with the prosecution having done a good job.

Through this case, she said the community must continue to ensure that children in the country are in protection and under safe condition.

"This Bella incident should give a warning or signal to the people. I thank the prosecution and the NGOs (non-governmental organisations) for the justice served for Bella as well as the opinions that have been channelled to us without fear or favour,” she added.

Apart from improving support services for children, she said her ministry is also working on addressing anti-sexual harassment issues.

She said the ministry would invite Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to kick off the programme, after which her ministry would roll out series of engagements nationwide.

"A lot of things will be coming up. We will organise a number of engagements across the nation as we need overall engagement nationwide. I will follow through with all the states,” Nancy added. — Borneo Post