Government should expedite amendments to Child Act - MCPF

The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has urged the government to expedite the tabling of the Child Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 for the second and third reading during the current Parliament session.

Its vice-chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the amendments of the Child Act 2001 need to be expedited in view of the increasing number of child abuse cases in the country.

"Parents, guardians, childminders and adults must be made aware that amendments to the law will have stiffer punishment against those who abuse or neglect children.

"The proposed amendments to the Child Act 2001, which seeks to provide better protection of children, carry heavier penalty of up to RM50,000 fine and a maximum jail sentence of 20 years for those convicted of child abuse. Under the present Act, child abuse is punishable with a fine of not more than RM10,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years," he said in a statement issued to Bernama.

The Bill was tabled for the first reading in Parliament last December.

The amendments also include the proposed registry of perpetrators who committed crimes against children and the setting up of a National Council for Children to advise and make recommendations to the government on issues related to the care, protection, rehabilitation, development and participation of children at the national, regional and international levels.

Lee suggested that the law be able to adequately address issues related to child pornography issues since the exploitation of children such as child prostitution and pornography including making, possessing and disseminating of child pornographic materials is also construed as child abuse.

The proposed amendments to the Child Act 2001 are in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), namely the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; and the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict that was ratified by Malaysia.

Meanwhile, he said MCPF supported the removal of caning as a form of corporal punishment for children who commit crime because currently caning of minors convicted of criminal offences is left to the court's discretion.

Furthermore, since the amendments will ensure that under aged offenders are rehabilitated through community service, counselling and family-oriented programmes, Lee said going forward, the counselling services for children should be enhanced.

"The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry should train more counsellors for schools so that children will receive proper and relevant guidance and advice. This is important to address negative issues and behaviours among children as well as prevent them from engaging in criminal acts," he said.