Parents, childcare bodies urged to fully utilise sexual offenders database

KUANTAN: The government has urged the parents and those directly involved in childcare to fully utilise the Registry System for Sexual Offenders against Children (eDKK) database.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh said since its inception on April 1, only one application received in Selangor to check the database that involved 55 names.

“The facility has been provided free of charge and concerned parents and societies can help prevent the offenders who have committed sexual crimes against children to stop them from repeating the same offence at a new place.

“Those involved in hiring individuals who will have access to children also need to check the database, including nurseries or childcare centres’ operators, school bus drivers and religious education centres,” he said.

Yeoh was speaking to reporters after officiating the Pahang State Nurseries Convention and Early Childhood Education Forum here yesterday that was also attended by State Social Welfare Department (SWD) director Zulkhairi Zainol Abidin.

She added if the application (to check the database) was done at the state’s SWD office, the results could be obtained immediately, compared to five working days if the application done at SWD district offices.

Yeoh also expressed her hope that all parents and those involved in childcare to stop thinking that it would not happen to their own families because it’s the adults’ responsibility to protect the children.

In a separate development, Yeoh said the ministry was carrying out legalising programme of nurseries that were not registered with the ministry.

Yeoh said based on SWD’s records as of February this year, only 4,497 registered nurseries throughout the country and the number seemed to be lower than the actual operating nurseries.