KPWKM STILL DRAFTING BILL, POLICY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS - NANCY

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) is still in the process of drafting a bill to protect and safeguard the interests of the elderly in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that at the same time the ministry is formulating the policy for senior citizens.

“We are still in the process of (finalising) the bill, and we are also preparing the elderly policy,” she said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) regarding the measures taken by the government to introduce the bill during the oral question and answer session.

In response to Mas Ermieyati’s original question about the number of elderly people in care homes, including those operated by the private sector, Nancy said that as of March this year, a total of 1,066 people were in Rumah Seri Kenangan (RSK) and 43 in Rumah Ehsan (RE), managed by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) nationwide.

Meanwhile, she said that a total of 506 unregistered childcare centres had been detected as of May 31.

Nancy said that the ministry employed various approaches, including issuing warning notices and taking enforcement actions under the Child Care Centre Act 1984, such as fines, compounds, and prosecution against unregistered childcare centres.

“Based on the investigation papers opened and completed, eight childcare centres were sealed, 17 were issued compounds, and two cases have been brought to court between 2020 and March 2024,” she said.

She said this in reply to a question from Datuk Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai), who inquired about the number of childcare centres found unregistered with the JKM.

-- BERNAMA