Women, Family and Community Development Ministry plans to enforce CCTV installation laws at daycare centres

CYBERJAYA - The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) is planning to enforce laws regarding the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems at every registered childcare centre, to address child abuse issues.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that her ministry will hold discussions regarding this matter at the ministry level. She also intends to involve relevant agencies and departments in the future.

There are childcare centres which have not installed CCTV cameras due to a lack of enforcement under the existing laws, instead, centre operators are only encouraged to install them, she said at a press conference after launching the KPWKM Community-Based Organisation (CBO) Empowerment programme today.

"Previously, when we proposed the idea, there were objections due to the expenses related to CCTV installation. We might assess whether the costs are excessive. This is a matter which we will deliberate collectively,” she said, commenting on a widely circulated video clip depicting an alleged child abuse incident at a daycare centre in Sabah, recorded by a CCTV camera.

Nancy said installing CCTV cameras can rebuild parents' trust in sending kids to care centres, given the cases of abuse which have occurred in the past.

"We should ensure the installation of CCTV, and above all, the daycare centre manager must comply with it,” she said.

Nancy, during a Dewan Rakyat sitting in March, said that requiring CCTV installation for registered daycare centres is one of three improvements proposed by the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) to improve the operation of childcare centres.

She pointed out that installing CCTV cameras in daycare centres enables a more thorough investigation of any unwanted incidents that may occur on the premises.

Nancy added that there were 3,767 reported cases of children requiring care and protection nationwide in the first half of this year.

Based on statistics released by JKM, the department has handled a total of 402 cases of domestic violence nationwide during the same period, she added.

To curb the increase in such cases, she said that her ministry has established the CBO which plays a vital role in fostering local community development by encouraging community participation and collaborative efforts among its members.

"Protecting vulnerable groups in the community, including children, persons with disabilities (PwD), the elderly, and domestic violence victims, should be viewed seriously.

"The task of protecting and ensuring the safety and well-being of these groups is a responsibility of the local community,” said Nancy who, at the same event, launched the KPWKM CBO @ Sepang directory, which serves as a reference to assist target groups and facilitate community-level actions. - BERNAMA