Ahmad Zahid hopes committee will be supervisory body related to children's issues

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hopes that the social committee that he will chair to study various issues involving children will be given the power as a supervisory body on matters related to education, rights and crimes against children.

Ahmad Zahid, who has been asked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to chair the social committee, said he would conduct an indepth study on the formation of the committee as soon as possible as it also involved issues related to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

"I see this appointment as a big responsibility and trust seeing how the issue of child abuse has yet to be resolved.

"In fact, there are several other unresolved issues related to children which have yet to be properly tackled. Children need our protection and attention," he said in a statement today.

Ahmad Zahid said the problems faced by children whose father or mother are foreign nationals would also be addressed by the committee, with immediate implementation by the Home Ministry.

"This is also another effort under the Unity Government, which is concerned about providing protection to such children," he said.

The government decided today on the setting up of the appointment of a Children's Commissioner under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam). It is a special branch that will have autonomy under Suhakam to scrutinise and tackle issues of abuse and social problems involving children.

Ahmad Zahid also thanked Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who had previously proposed that an independent commission be set up to safeguard the rights and well-being of children.

-- BERNAMA