Govt aims to table Social Work Profession Bill this year — Nancy

KUALA LUMPUR: The government aims to table the Social Work Profession Bill in the Dewan Rakyat this year, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Therefore, she hoped that all issues raised about the bill could be resolved and finalised during the coordination process by the relevant agencies.

Nancy said the government had agreed in principle with the proposal to formulate the bill and had submitted a draft to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review in June 2021.

“However, several legal and policy issues need to be scrutinised and finalised before we can proceed with the next course of action,” she said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

She was responding to a supplementary question from Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching), who wanted to know the government’s plan to table the bill and whether it contains provisions regarding the establishment of an independent regulatory body.

According to Nancy, the draft includes the formation of an independent body that will regulate the profession by overseeing the registration and certification of social work practices, as well as the establishment and compliance with standard practices and social work education.

To Dr Yii’s original question on the allocation for hiring workers in the social service sector under the Social Welfare Department (JKM) this year, she said under the Budget 2024, JKM received an allocation of RM308 million for the emolument of its permanent staff.

Through this allocation, JKM had filled 6,517 permanent positions as of Feb 28, comprising staff from various schemes covering social services, shared service, and cadre posts, besides having 592 contract staff.

“This year, JKM plans to appoint 309 contract staff from various schemes to be placed in the Children Development Department, which began operating in the fourth quarter of last year after the Prime Minister announced its establishment during the tabling of the Budget 2023,” said Nancy. — Bernama