IPOH, Sept 17 — The proposed filial law that would legally require children to care for their ageing parents is still under consultation and is likely to be tabled early next year, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said.

Kulasegaran said he had hoped the Bill could be tabled by October this year, but the timeframe was too short as the government still needed to consult non-governmental organisations, relevant departments and other stakeholders.

“I’m hoping for this year. But probably, it looks like early next year,” he told reporters after attending the Program Sumbangan Prihatin Hari Malaysia at Trends Restaurant here.

Kulasegaran also explained that the proposed law did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Law and Institutional Reform Ministry, but the ministry overseeing family and welfare matters, with his ministry collaborating on the matter.

He said the proposed Family Support Bill would address situations where elderly parents were no longer working while their adult children, including professionals such as lawyers, doctors, politicians and engineers, failed to provide financial or other support.

He said Malaysia had studied similar laws in countries including Singapore and India, where legislation allows parents who are not supported by their children to seek a court order requiring their children to provide financial support.

“This is not an unusual proposal. In several countries, including India, Singapore and others, we have studied what kind of legislation could be adopted in Malaysia,” he said.

Kulasegaran said the government could not introduce such legislation arbitrarily as it first needed to examine related laws and conduct various consultations before deciding on the appropriate course of action.

“The process has already been carried out and is ongoing,” he said, adding that he hoped the proposal could be brought forward despite the limited timeframe between October and December.

He said the need for such legislation had also been raised by elderly parents.

Kulasegaran also said he had observed that people who failed to care for their parents could later face similar difficulties when seeking care from their own children.

On mandatory caning, Kulasegaran said the matter was also still under consultation following an impact assessment meeting he chaired recently.

He said the government had received expert opinions and various recommendations on the matter on Tuesday, but could not disclose the details as they were covered under the Official Secrets Act.

“We have had discussions with the Attorney General’s Chambers and various other parties. I am in charge of the meeting,” he said.

Asked whether the abolition of caning was among the recommendations, Kulasegaran declined to comment.