KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The Social Welfare Department (JKM) does not have enough staff to adequately monitor childcare centres registered with the government, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The women, family and community development minister said her ministry was consequently looking into other measures to ensure safety at such centres.
These include attempting to have all registered by the department, possibly introducing an application for parents to remotely monitor their children, and for such centres to be equipped with surveillance cameras.
“We understand the shortcomings we have in monitoring these centres. We have 4,293 centres registered under JKM as of June, but we do not have enough officers to monitor the centres closely,” she said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dr Wan Azizah, in response to a question from Rantau Panjang MP Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, said it was also difficult for JKM to monitor such establishments as under the current regulation, only centres with four children and above under their care are required to register, which leaves those unregistered not answerable to the Child Care Centre Act 1984.
“We encourage all childcare centres to register with us. However, those who are not required currently feel that registering may make it harder for them to work.
“The ministry will also look into improving the Act in order for the registration system to ensure that any works involving caring of children will be refined to minimise risks to the safety of children,” she said, adding that the improvements would also involve the cooperation with the police.
Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff had wanted to know the immediate measures taken by the ministry to regulate child nurseries, including those in private homes.
On the special committee proposed to monitor babysitters operating from their home, the Dr Wan Azizah said the committee would review and study the cost of managing childcare centres to ensure such establishments do not charge exorbitant fees.
“The committee will also work with the authorities to strengthen prosecution evidence for court proceedings involving child abuse cases by their caretaker,” she added.
Yesterday, the government mooted setting up the special committee following the death of several children in the care of babysitters, including five-month-old Adam Rayqal Muhd Sufi Naeif, who was found stuffed inside a freezer after dying from head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.
