KOTA KINABALU, Aug 10 — After the case of physical abuse in a childcare centre here, the state government will require all its kindergarten and day care operators under its jurisdiction of the state government to install closed-circuit television (CCTVs) in the premises before renewing their licences.
State Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister Datuk James Ratib said that the state will summon all the kindergartens and childcare centres under the department by tomorrow to convey its concerns and action to be taken.
Speaking to reporters at the State Legislative Assembly building today, he said that the welfare department under his ministry has formulated relevant guidelines to ensure that teachers or caretakers employed by childcare operators are qualified to work with children.
“There are more than 300 kindergartens under my ministry. We will make it mandatory for them to install CCTVs in the premises before renewing their licences. They should also ensure they be given training and make sure they love working with children,” he said.
He was asked to comment on the case of a four-year-old boy abused by one of the caretakers at a daycare centre which was caught on CCTV footage.
The federal social welfare department has made the installation of CCTVs mandatory earlier this year but it unclear whether the state has adopted similar measures as of today.
"The teacher is said to have entered the job in 2020. Maybe there have been other children that have been abused since then. We will be investigating this,” he said, adding that he feared this would affect other parents’ faith in such centres.
It was reported yesterday that police are looking into at the case which came to light after parents asked to see CCTV recordings of the daycare when their four-year-old son came home with pain and bruises on his body.
In the two-minute recording, a women was seen slapping and hitting the child multiple times and pulling his in front of other children at the centre.
City police chief assistant commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said police confirmed that the incident had taken place at the childcare centre and three police reports had since been lodged over the incident including by the 27-year-old woman in the video, who said that she was assaulted by the boy’s 36-year-old father.
The victim’s mother and the centre's operator also made reports.
Two investigation papers have been opened, one on Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for child abuse and Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.
