Last Thursday, women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said the proposal had been presented at a Cabinet meeting, and the ministry was looking into the matter before arriving at a decision.
Calling it the “single most important plan” that the government has put forward for the betterment of children in the country, the group said a key issue will be the extent of the scope and powers of the proposed department.
“Will it be akin to a children’s ministry which is fully responsible for all children’s issues (and) overarching all other ministries that have some responsibility for children, with powers to make policy changes?” it asked in a statement.
“Or will it just be a coordinating body between different ministries and agencies on children’s issues?”
Among the statement’s signatories are Suhakam children commissioner Noor Aziah Awal, Yayasan Chow Kit founder Hartini Zainudin and consultant paediatrician Dr Amar Singh HSS, who is also an adviser to the National Early Childhood Intervention Council.
The civil society organisations which signed off on the statement include the Association of Women Lawyers, the Malaysian Council for Child Welfare, and Montessori Association Malaysia.
They said the proposed department should cover critical areas such as the prevention of abuse, neglect, exploitation and all forms of violence against children.
It should also establish an inter-agency child protection case and data management system and improve basic health service delivery, especially to marginalised children.
The department should also improve the status of marginalised children, including those who are migrants, refugees and stateless.
It should work towards ending child poverty, especially among indigenous peoples, and target those in Sabah and in inner city environments.
Among its other suggestions were to improve the timeliness, quality, access and safety of early childhood care and education, and remove all barriers to children and adopted children of Malaysian parents from acquiring Malaysian citizenship.
“This list, although not exhaustive, seems like a tall order,” noted the group.
“(But) the government’s announcement inspires confidence that, together, we can make a firm start to work in this direction and build success over time.”