‘Loopholes in childcare law must be addressed’
AMPANG: There is a need to address loopholes in the existing law pertaining to childcare, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said the move was to prevent recurring cases of death among children placed under the care of babysitters.
“I feel sad when I know of such cases, one after another.
“This is about the children’s future.
“We have discussed the matter (about the law) with the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers (A-GC) several times.
“The A-GC has informed us about the need to tighten the law. So, we will address the loopholes in the existing law,” she told reporters after her Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council here.
Present were Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, ministers, deputy ministers and foreign diplomats.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is women and family development minister, said she had instructed the ministry to gather details on cases of abuse and death among children while under the care of babysitters.
She was commenting on the death of a 10-month-old baby in Muar yesterday.
The baby, Naufal Amsyar Nabil Fikri, who was believed to have fallen at his babysitter’s house, died at 9am yesterday, after four days at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital.