KOTA KINABALU: The Children and Young Persons (Employment Amendment) Bill 2010, which was approved by the Parliament two days ago, will ensure better protection for children and young persons from exploitation, said Datuk Azizah Haji Mohd Dun.
The Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister said that barring children and young persons under the age of 18 from working in hotels, restaurants and pubs is necessary to keep them away from environments that expose them to safety and health risks.
She said the amendment is necessary in view of the current developments where children and young persons were exploited by unscrupulous employers and made use of by human and drug traffickers.
Azizah, who is also chairman of the State Family and Women Development Board, said the move to keep them from those establishments will minimise the risk.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Information Technology and Human Resource Development Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said the amended law will curb exploitation of young people.
She said there are children in Sabah employed as labourers, and the Bill will ensure better protection for them.
She said the community plays a great part in checking such exploitations, and parents should be encouraged to ensure their children acquire skills before they enter the employment market.
According to her, training will not only ensure they are skilled when they apply for employment but they are of the right age to work.
“The amendment ensures that children, meaning those below 15, and young people, those below 18, are not allowed to work in hotels, bars, restaurants, lodging houses and clubs except in family owned businesses,” she said.
Speaking to reporters after attending a lunch with Karambunai Umno Youth members at 1Borneo yesterday, Jainab said school leavers should look up skill or living skill training centres and enrol for programmes that equip them with skills that are in demand locally.
“There are many skill training programmes being offered by establishments like Department of Human Resource that are suitable for youths here,” she said, adding that there are many skilled workers needed by the tourism, plantation and oil and gas sectors, among others.
To boot this, young people can also start their own business by first undergoing training with related establishments, she said.
According to her, there are ample employment opportunities in Sabah but those concerned, especially youths, must ensure the skilsl they acquire meet local requirements.
“With skills, our youths can be lucratively employed here instead of looking towards the Peninsular Malaysia for better paid employment,” she said.
On another matter, Jainab said Umno will support any Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Batu Sapi during the coming by-election.
The parliamentary seat became vacant following the death of Datuk Edmund Chong in a road accident recently and a by-election is expected soon.
Zainab, who is Karambunai assemblywoman, said Umno will work with any BN candidate and hoped that the people will return the seat there to BN so that what good work Chong had done for the people, will continue.
According to her, there is no contention on development in Batu Sapi that can be made into issues by the opposition party, but BN has to work hard to reach the grassroots so that they are not affected by any negative sentiments.