Azalina said the task force would comprise representatives from the Attorney-General’s Chambers as well as the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

“The task force will also have members from all sorts of background, including parliamentarians, the Malaysian Shariah Legal Association, academicians, and other women-centric NGOs.

“(They will be chosen) based on their expertise and qualifications on the subject,” Azalina said in a statement today.

She added that the task force’s first meeting would be conducted in the near future.

Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday announced the formation of the task force, saying that he would personally oversee it given the rising concerns over the frequency of sexual crimes against children.

According to Azalina, she was given the mandate to chair the task force which showed that the government was committed in its efforts to tackle problems faced by women and children.

The calls for more stringent laws on child protection came following the case of British paedophile Richard Huckle, who was accused of sexually abusing over 200 children from impoverished families.

Many of his victims were Malaysians as young as six-month-olds, and for his crimes, Huckle was slapped with 22 life sentences by the UK courts in June this year.