In a statement, Seri Delima assemblyman Syerleena Abdul Rashid said she was surprised that the rise in cases had not prompted the ministry to take immediate action over the matter.

She said there seemed to be little to no progress in coming up with stronger child protection policies, questioning if children’s safety was not a top priority for Rina.

Syerleena added that if Rina was unable to perform her duties effectively and was only concerned about her political reputation, she should just resign.

“The fate of the children should not be left in the hands of a minister who doesn’t know what to do.

“The ministry and its relevant agencies should be taking firm action against the abusers, besides laying out better plans to prevent children from becoming victims,” she said.

Syerleena said data from the police stated that 1,721 cases were reported nationwide in 2020, amounting to an average of 286 reports a month. This figure went up by 50% last year.

She urged Putrajaya to implement policies that would provide better protection for children, punish offenders and create safe environments, while calling for counselling courses that would help victims.

Earlier this month, it was reported that more than 1,000 child abuse cases were recorded nationwide in the first half of this year, with 39.6%, or 417, of them being sexual abuse cases.