Govt Adopts Integrated Approach To Tackle Sexual Crimes Against Children - Ahmad Zahid

PUTRAJAYA, July 29 (Bernama) -- The government will adopt an integrated approach involving various ministries and agencies to address the sharp rise in cases of sexual crimes against children, which have surged by 53.2 per cent over the past four years.

Deputy Prime Minister and National Social Council (MSN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it will involve the Home Ministry, Royal Malaysia Police, Youth and Sports Ministry, and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to tackle the issue comprehensively, firmly and effectively.

“Statistics show that cases of sexual crimes against children rose from 2,541 in 2020 to 3,892 in 2024.

“The number of victims also increased from 2,561 to 3,988 over the same period, a jump of 55.7 per cent,” he said in a statement after chairing the MSN Meeting No. 2/2025 here today.

Ahmad Zahid said technological advancements and the industrial revolution have led to increasingly sophisticated criminal modus operandi, including the use of deepfake technology and digital identity theft.

Other planned measures include organising the “Child Protection: Addressing Cyber Threats and Sexual Crimes” seminar in November.

The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the National Social Policy 2030 and the development of the 2026-2030 Action Plan, which is in its final phase and will be presented to the Cabinet in October.

Ahmad Zahid said the issue of homeless individuals with mental disorders who have not received treatment due to the lack of special placement facilities was also raised.

“The council supports the Health Ministry’s initiative to set up a task force to establish a psychiatric nursing care home,” he said.

The meeting also discussed the proposed formation of a special committee on Islamic preschool education to coordinate matters related to registration, safety, health, as well as curriculum and teaching staff strategies.

In addition, the meeting examined the issue of skills mismatch among graduates, with Department of Statistics data showing that 2.06 million graduates are currently working in sectors not commensurate with their qualifications.

“To address this strategically, the MyMAHIR initiative, led by the Human Resource Ministry and TalentCorp, has been launched.

“To date, 66 industry-driven training programmes have been approved under the MyMAHIR Future Skills Talent Council, covering high-impact sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data analytics and the green economy.

“These programmes not only provide high-skilled training but also come with job guarantees, offering an average starting salary of RM3,000 to RM6,000 per month,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said that starting this year, MSN membership has been expanded to include the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) to strengthen policy implementation impact.

-- BERNAMA