KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — The Women and Family Development Ministry will work together with federal police in a campaign to raise awareness among parents on signs of possible abuse when sending their children to daycare centres.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the deputy prime minister, today said the campaign will educate parents on how to identify signs of abuse.

“We want the parents to see the warning signs, for instance if their kids suddenly don’t want to go to the centre,” she said during a visit to the Bukit Aman Sexual, Woman, and Children’s Investigation Division (D11) this afternoon.

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“We will also launch an infographic to educate parents and raise awareness on the signs being exhibited, and for them to always be wary of where they are sending their children,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah added police would assist the ministry in their efforts by mobilising their resources to weed out abusive caretakers.

“This is also a collective effort and responsibility; not only the media but everyone should take part in raising awareness,” she said.

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Also present during her visit was Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim, who explained the force’s Women’s Peace Police Squad (Amanita) would be deployed to identify daycare centres in existing neighbourhoods.

“I have informed the deputy prime minister that we will use our resources, our Amanita team on the ground, to first survey how many daycare centres and nurseries there are, and then establish which ones are registered and which are operating illegally,” he said.

“We are aware of neighbourhood daycare centres too, we know which ones are they, but we are now discussing the next course of action with those from the ministry,” Noor Rashid explained.

He added police are ever ready to assist the public in running background checks on potential caretakers, should parents have any doubts on safety.

This was in light of a recent high-profile death of a nine-month-old girl in Kajang, Selangor, who was found to have been physically and sexually brutalised while under the care of a babysitter.