MELAKA - Melaka recorded a total of 211 cases of abuse from January to Oct 31 this year, said state Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairperson Datuk Kalsom Nordin.
Kalsom (BN-Pengkalan Batu) said it was an increase of 94 cases compared with 117 cases recorded in the same period last year.
"A report from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) found that the negligence of parents or guardians was the main factor (in cases of abuse).
"Another contributing factor is family disputes as a result of financial problems. However, as of Oct 31, there have been no cases of abuse involving death,” she said.
She said this in her reply to a supplementary question from Siti Faizah Abdul Azis (BN-Sungai Rambai) at the Melaka State Legislative Assembly sitting in Seri Negeri here today.
Earlier, Kalsom, in her reply to a question posed by Siti Fauziah, said that the state government through JKM, channelled one-off assistance of RM200 to the next-of-kin of the Welfare Department aid recipients.
Siti Faizah wanted to know if the state government had any plans to provide funeral expense benefits to JKM aid recipients in the state.
Kalsom said that the aid was channelled depending on certain criteria which gave priority to the people of Melaka.
"Among the criteria are that the deceased was born in Melaka and died in this state; the deceased was from Melaka but died abroad and the deceased was not from Melaka but had resided in Melaka for at least 10 years and required confirmation from the Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK),” she said. - BERNAMA