Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan said the system is expected to be operational next year and was developed following the many incidents of child abuse cases.

“With this system, in future, schools, parents, children’s institutions, childcare centres and school bus operators can conduct checks on their employees to ensure that people with criminal records do not work in children-related industries,” she said in reply to Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (DAP-Lanang) on the latest status of the Child Registry, its challenges and implementation, during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Yeoh said the ministry had held meetings with various relevant parties, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), courts and Prisons Department on the system.

She said although there already was a Child Registry, it had some weaknesses, including difficulty getting complete information on child offenders from agencies such as the police and courts, as there was no coordinated information-sharing.

Yeoh said the information currently available in the Child Registry was also limited to a few child-related offences under the Child Act 2001 and did not include criminal offences under such laws as the Penal Code.