Parents, employers told to optimise registry of sexual offenders

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Dr Wan Azizah (right) visits the Malaysian Islamic Training Institute (ILIM) in-house pre-school yesterday. — Bernama photo

BANGI: Parents and persons who are directly involved with children  are advised to fully utilise the registry of sexual offenders against children (e-DKK).

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the registry, introduced on April 1 this year, had so far received 68 applications from individuals and agencies to check on the background of their potential employees following which, checks were made against 1,254 names, she said in her speech when closing the Social Welfare Department’s Junior Khalifah Programme here yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah said the system was introduced to enable parents, individuals and employers intending to hire someone to take care or children to check on the background of the potential employees.

This is to ensure the persons applying do not have records for sexual offences against children, she  said, adding that the service is provided free.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said intervention programmes to address social problems among children, or the Diversion Programme, will be implemented in August in Sepang, Selangor, and Seremban  and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan.

She said the project would be carried out to assess the suitability of the programme, preparedness and capability of the resources involved and to provide room for improvement, prior to its implementation nationwide.

She said the Diversion Programme is an alternative approach to handle children with conflict with the law without going through the existing justice system.

“This programme is made so that children found involved in minor crimes do not need to go through the remand process and imprisonment.

“We do not want to put them in a situation which can lead them to more serious crime because of their socialising when in prison,” she added. — Bernama