23/05/2026

SATURDAY | MAY 23, 2026

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Welfare Dept steps up raids on illegal childcare centres

Malaysia ramps up child protection reforms PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will continue strengthening child protection systems and policies, particularly in addressing emerging issues such as digital safety, mental health and access to services for vulnerable children, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. She added that child protection must remain a shared responsibility involving government agencies, communities, civil society, families and international partners. “Under the coordination of the ministry, Malaysia has continued to strengthen important reforms and initiatives relating to children, including the National Child Policy and Plan of Action 2026–2030, improvements to child protection legislation, as well as initiatives on online safety and child participation. “The government is also reinforcing inter-agency coordination mechanisms to better support children’s overall wellbeing,” she said. Nancy said Malaysia’s recent engagement with the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Geneva reaffirmed both the country’s progress and the need for continued reforms involving child protection, welfare, education, healthcare and justice. She said the engagement involved months of preparatory work across ministries and agencies, including technical coordination sessions and policy consolidation efforts. She stressed that the protection and advancement of children’s rights cannot rest on a single institution alone, but requires cooperation across ministries, agencies, civil society organisations and international partners. “I still remember the many preparation sessions we had, both in Malaysia and later in Geneva, involving multiple ministries, agencies and even non-governmental partners. “Despite the long discussions and sometimes difficult issues, there was always a shared understanding that at the end of the day, everything we were discussing came back to one thing... doing better for children.” She added that Malaysia’s participation under the CRC over the past three decades has evolved into an important platform for policy reflection, institutional strengthening and international engagement since the country acceded to the convention in 1995. “We remain guided by the belief that policies must ultimately translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of children, especially those in vulnerable situations. “This includes children with disabilities, children in alternative care settings, children affected by displacement or documentation related challenges, and children who may face barriers in accessing protection, education and healthcare services,” she said. The ministry also launched “The Continuing Covenant: Malaysia’s Journey Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child” yesterday, a publication documenting the country’s three-decade engagement with the CRC framework. – by Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi

o Authorities to take immediate action on operators found running unregistered facilities, including issuing shutdown orders: Minister

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

However, she acknowledged that some centres remain undetected as authorities may not be aware of their existence unless informed by the public. The minister said enforcement efforts cannot rely solely on the authorities, stressing that cooperation from the public is crucial in identifying illegal childcare operations. “We also depend on information from the community, including neighbours, to detect illegal operations that may otherwise go unnoticed. “This is a whole-of-community approach. We need that support,” she said, adding that authorities may not be aware of such premises unless alerted. Nancy also said while registration systems are available to help parents verify licensed centres, some may still unknowingly send their children to unregistered facilities that appear legitimate. “Some parents may forget to check because they are focused on finding a safe place to send their children. “When they go there, it appears to be a safe place, so this creates a dilemma for parents. But on our Nancy added that the initiative comes amid growing concern over online child sexual exploitation, including the circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). She was commenting on the alarming rise in such cases, with more than 1.47 million CSAM-linked digital files detected through four major enforcement operations from 2024 to April this year. In another development, Nancy said discussions are also ongoing on the establishment of a sexual offenders registry system to strengthen vetting processes involving individuals working with children. She stressed the need for stricter action against child sexual offenders following the increase in cases involving minors.

PUTRAJAYA: The Social Welfare Department will intensify surprise inspections on childcare centres as enforcement is tightened against illegal operators, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. She added that enforcement teams are actively conducting spot checks to identify unregistered childcare centres, following recurring abuse and neglect cases involving children. Authorities would take immediate action against operators found running unregistered centres, including ordering them to shut down. “Even now, our department officers are going out and conducting surprise visits to ensure all centres are registered. “Once they discover unregistered centres, they will take action immediately and even order them to close,”she said after officiating at the “A Journey of Malaysia’s Participation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child” ceremony yesterday.

Nancy (centre) holding up a book during the ceremony yesterday. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

further laboratory tests are pending. According to reports, the infant had been under the care of the 38-year-old babysitter since December 2025. On the day of the incident, the baby is believed to have been put to bed in a cradle with a silicone pacifier in his mouth. The babysitter has been remanded for six days to assist investigations under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. She was also reported to be unregistered with the department and had been caring for children privately. Nancy said authorities and agencies involved must not take such cases lightly as they could have long-term impacts on child victims. She urged the relevant ministry and agencies, including the Sexual, Women and Children Investigation Division, to take appropriate action, while stressing that the ministry employing the suspect should also act firmly. “Usually, the perpetrator is male, but in this case it is a female. I am also surprised. I have mixed feelings about it because I am a mother and also a grandmother. “They have to do something because this is not good for the child. This is really a bad experience for the child and I do not know how it is going to affect his future,” Nancy said, stressing that cases involving children must not be sidelined or ignored. – by Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi flexibility to adopt appropriate solutions that meet safety, privacy and legal requirements,” it added. Under the CPC, service providers are required to incorporate child safety-by-design principles, including safeguards to limit account registration and ownership for users below the age of 16. – by Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi

“We hope to achieve good outcomes to better protect children, but we need more input from the various ministries involved as well. “Anyway, we will not stop. We will do our best to make sure we achieve what we truly want for the sake of children’s rights,” she said. Nancy was commenting on a recent case involving a 42-year-old female school teacher charged at the Sessions Court in Seremban with five counts of sexual offences involving a 14-year-old male student. On May 20, media reports stated that the teacher pleaded not guilty to charges involving both physical and non-physical sexual assault allegedly committed since September last year. part, it is an ongoing process for us to continue conducting surprise visits,” she said. On Thursday, media reports stated that a seven-month-old boy died while sleeping in a cloth cradle at a babysitter’s home in Bandar Sri Sendayan, Seremban last Tuesday, with autopsy findings confirming the cause of death as neck compression. Seremban police chief ACP Azahar Abdul Rahim was reported as saying an autopsy conducted at the Forensic Medicine Unit of Rembau Hospital found evidence of pressure on the baby’s neck, while public feedback exercise conducted between Feb 12 and March 31. MCMC said the codes set clear expectations for service providers to take greater responsibility in addressing online harm, especially in protecting children and vulnerable users. “The implementation approach under the codes remains outcome based, allowing service providers the

Putrajaya moves to strengthen online safety laws PUTRAJAYA: The government is tightening online child safety laws under proposed amendments to the Online Safety Act (Onsa) 2025 in response to rising digital sexual offences involving minors. relevant ministries, but nothing concrete has been finalised yet,” she said. However, she acknowledged that implementing such a system would involve multiple ministries and human rights considerations.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the issue is being taken seriously through coordinated efforts involving multiple ministries and agencies. “We are amending Onsa 2025 to strengthen online safety protection, especially for children. “We are also exploring the establishment of a registry for individuals involved, but it is not an easy process.” She said discussions have been held with several ministries, although no firm decisions have been made as certain procedural matters still need to be addressed. “We have had engagements with

MCMC rolls out tougher digital safeguards PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has introduced the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) under the Online Safety Act 2025 (Onsa), effective June 1. Malaysia’s online safety framework, particularly in enhancing protection for children and families navigating digital risks.

“The implementation of these key obligations under Onsa forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure a safer digital experience for children and families,” it said. The consultation process included a

In a statement yesterday, MCMC said the CPC and RMC mark an important step in strengthening