PUTRAJAYA, July 15 — The Social Work Profession Bill 2026, passed by the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, formally recognises social work as a regulated profession in Malaysia, marking a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s social welfare system.

Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the legislation reflects the Madani Government’s commitment to enhancing professionalism, ethics, and accountability in the delivery of social services.

“The passing of this Bill is the result of the ministry’s sustained commitment, together with stakeholders over the past decade, to develop a comprehensive legal framework that empowers the social work profession in Malaysia.

“Throughout this period, numerous engagement sessions were held with ministries, government agencies, state governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), higher education institutions, social work practitioners, and other stakeholders to ensure the Bill meets the nation’s current and future needs,” she said in a statement today.

Nancy said the need for dedicated legislation had become increasingly urgent amid Malaysia’s evolving social landscape, driven by demographic changes, an ageing population, urbanisation, rising living costs, and emerging social challenges.

She said the new law would establish a clear legal framework for regulating the profession through the formation of the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council.

The council will be responsible for issuing practising certificates to qualified social work practitioners, setting professional competency standards, regulating ethics and professional conduct, and promoting the profession.

“It will also enable the public to verify the credentials of registered social work practitioners before engaging their services, thereby strengthening public confidence in the nation’s social service delivery system,” she said.

Nancy added that the Bill not only enhances public protection but also elevates social work into a recognised profession with clearly defined competency standards.

She said the legislation is expected to strengthen human capital development in the field, create more employment opportunities, encourage greater participation among graduates, and foster stronger collaboration among the public and private sectors, as well as non-governmental organisations, in delivering social services.

“The passing of the Social Work Profession Bill 2026 marks a major step towards building a more robust, professional, and sustainable social welfare system. It not only accords due recognition to the social work profession but also strengthens protection for citizens in need of assistance,” she said.

Nancy also expressed her appreciation to the 23 Members of Parliament who participated in the second reading debate, describing their views, recommendations, and analyses as a reflection of bipartisan commitment to strengthening the profession for the benefit of the people.

She said the ministry would carefully consider all recommendations put forward to further improve the implementation of the Act.

The Dewan Rakyat passed the Social Work Profession Bill 2026 by a majority vote following a debate involving 23 Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition blocs. The legislation establishes the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council as the regulatory body for the profession. — Bernama