10/08/2025

NATIONAL 3 theSun on Sunday AUG 10, 2025

650 child abuse, neglect cases in KL this year

PETALING The government’s Kampung Angkat Madani programme has helped close the development gap between rural and urban areas through a community-focused approach, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In a written parliamentary reply, he said RM1 million had been channelled to each village involved in the initiative, with an additional RM200,000 allocated for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) projects. These cover both physical and non-physical components. “For physical projects, the focus was on building basic infrastructure such as roads, street lighting, internet access and water supply. “The non-physical projects include health screening, on-site verification of assistance and educational guidance for children who have dropped out of school,” he said in reply to Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH–Sungai Petani). Mohammed Taufiq had asked how the ministry was monitoring the programme’s effectiveness in bridging the rural-urban gap in 2025. Anwar said the programme is monitored through the Madani Adopted Programme dashboard, a centralised platform where leadership teams track progress and submit monthly reports to the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department for follow-up action. He said the initiative had accelerated development in rural areas, ensured projects met local needs and delivered a broader impact to village communities. Overall, the programme is expected to directly improve the quality of life and socio-economic status of residents. – by Mahadhir Monihuldin Kampung Angkat Madani initiative boosts rural growth JAYA: is interlinked.” He called for a coordinated employability policy led by the prime minister and involving the Education, Higher Education and Human Resources ministries. “We must reform the labour market, ensure employability preparation for both streams and give students a chance. Don’t reject them without giving an opportunity.” In a written reply in Parliament to Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN–Kubang Pasu) on Aug 5, the Education Ministry said 50.83% of Form Four students were in the STEM stream in 2024, up from 45.73% in 2023, describing it as a positive step towards the 60:40 target. The ministry said it would continue to strengthen STEM education through initiatives to attract more students, positioning it as key to producing a skilled and competitive workforce.

Ministry calls for public to report wrongdoing, stresses shared responsibility in protecting children

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 650 cases of child abuse and neglect have been reported in Kuala Lumpur as of June this year, including 95 in the Brickfields district alone, according to Social Welfare Department statistics. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has urged the public to immediately report any wrongdoing, particularly cases involving children. Speaking at the launch of the “Child Protection Advocacy Programme: Kasih Kanak Kanak” yesterday, minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said prompt reporting to Talian Kasih at 15999 or directly to the police could save lives. “While the government continues to take action, I wish to remind everyone that protecting children’s safety is not solely the government’s responsibility. It is our shared duty as parents, Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

teachers, neighbours and the entire community,” she said. Nancy stressed that child protection efforts must be driven comprehensively by all levels of society. “This data underscores the need for active involvement from all parties, including the community, in serving as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the ministry and the authorities,” she said. She added that in today’s digital age, children face dangers both outside and inside their homes, including physical and emotional abuse, neglect, online exploitation and cyberbullying. “The ministry will continue to educate the public, especially children, about their rights and to encourage them to speak up whenever they feel unsafe.” Acknowledging that it is an ongoing process, Nancy emphasised the importance of continuing educational programmes, particularly across more than 10,000 schools nationwide as cases of child

Nancy playing congkak during the programme yesterday. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

temporary evacuation centre at Sekolah Rendah Agama Al Khwarizmi, which is housing nine families comprising 41 evacuees of a late-night fire in Pantai Dalam that destroyed 14 squatter houses and four commercial premises, including Mydin Mart and Pasaraya Karnival. She was accompanied by Lembah Pantai MP Datuk Fahmi Fadzil to deliver essential aid to those affected. and state syariah laws. Section 377A of the Penal Code, which applies to all residents, prohibits “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”, interpreted as same-sex sexual conduct. The offence is punishable by imprisonment of up to 20 years and caning. – by Mahadhir Monihuldin target, Balakrishnan cautioned that the increase in STEM graduates must be matched with the creation of high-value jobs. “Many engineers end up as Grab drivers because of limited career development. We must grow high tech industries and transform SMEs into semi-skilled or high-skilled sectors so graduates are in demand. Otherwise, we only invest in training them, but they leave because the opportunities are better and larger in number overseas,” he said. Balakrishnan stressed that non STEM roles remained critical, particularly in industries where technical and non-technical skills were integrated. “Digital marketing, TikTok and creative content are now major business areas. But even these need the integration of STEM and arts. Engineers make products, arts graduates market them. Everything

abuse and sexual harassment are on the rise. She said children must be empowered with confidence through information delivered by qualified speakers, especially police officers, who can share practical tips and standard operating procedures. “Parents must listen and take action if their children share concerns about incidents at school or elsewhere.” Separately, Nancy visited the LGBT – an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender – is an umbrella term referring to people whose sexual orientations or gender identities differ from the heterosexual and cisgender norm. In Malaysia, same-sex sexual acts and gender nonconformity are criminalised under both federal She noted Singapore’s adoption of the STEAM model, which integrates arts into STEM to encourage creativity and design thinking alongside technical skills. “This is not a rejection of STEM but an enhancement of it,” she said, warning that outdated, passive teaching methods in Malaysia continued to limit students’ higher order thinking skills regardless of stream. Universiti Malaysia Kelantan industrial relations expert Prof Dr Balakrishnan Parasuraman shared similar views, saying the government’s prioritisation of STEM aligned with the nation’s shift towards high-tech industries such as AI, engineering, biotechnology and agribusiness. While supporting the 60:40 STEM-to-arts enrolment policy

No research on LGBT in marriages: Minister PETALING JAYA: No research has been conducted on LGBT individuals who marry, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. Syariah Criminal Enactment,” she said in a written parliamentary reply to Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PN– Setiu).

Shaharizukirnain had asked how much research had been done on LGBT individuals who marry partners and what initiatives the government was taking to address the matter.

“Despite that, there are laws in the country that do not allow same-sex relationships, such as the Penal Code and the State

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com STEM enrolment climbs, but jobs lag behind Furthermore, the STEM alone is the key to career success,” she said.

country’s engineer-to-population ratio of 1:170 is considerably lower than the 1:100 ratio seen in developed nations, highlighting an urgent need for more engineering professionals. But a numerical target alone is insufficient without ensuring the skills developed align with high-growth sectors,” she said. She cited Malaysian Employers Federation data showing that 70% of graduates were in low- or semi skilled jobs, with many working outside their fields of study. Diana added that the policy’s binary “STEM versus arts” framing was outdated, pointing to a 2024 graduate employability study by the Higher Education Ministry which found that applied arts disciplines such as accountancy and business achieved among the highest graduate employability rates. “This challenges the idea that

PETALING JAYA: Rising enrolment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Malaysian schools may signal progress towards long-standing policy targets, but experts warn the labour market is not ready to absorb the growing number of science and technology graduates, risking a worsening underemployment problem. Universiti Malaya employability analysis expert Dr Diana Abdul Wahab said the rationale for prioritising STEM remained strong, particularly in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and cybersecurity. “The Malaysian government has invested billions into digital transformation initiatives, creating thousands of new tech jobs.