Complete screening system to help child industry operators check employees’ records

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is developing a complete screening system which will allow the public, especially operators dealing with children, to check a person’s record before he or she is employed.

Its deputy minister Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan said the system, which is expected to be operational next year, was developed following the many current incidents of child abuse cases.

“With this system, in future, schools, parents, chi ldren’s institutions, childcare centres and school bus operators can conduct checks on the staff or employees to ensure that people with criminal records do not work in children-related industries,” she said in reply to Alice Lau Kiong Yieng ( DAP-Lanang) on the latest status of the Child Registry, its challenges and implementation, during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Yeoh said the ministry had held meetings with various relevant parties including the Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM), Courts, and Prisons Department on the system.

She said although there already was a Child Registry, it had some weaknesses including difficulty in getting complete information on child offenders from agencies such as PDRM and courts as there was no coordinated informationsharing.

Yeoh said the information currently available in the Child Registry was also limited to a few child-related offences under the Child Act 2001, and did not include criminal offences under such laws as the Penal Code.