KUCHING: It is a good suggestion to have a unit focusing on the needs of children but whether or not it should be a new ministry is debatable, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan.
She said a dedicated unit or section focusing solely on children’s affairs will certainly aid in the eradication of child-related issues.
“Rather than creating a new ministry, it could be classified as a unit under the Women, Family, and Community Development (ministry),” she said when asked for comments on Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh’s suggestion to create a new ministry specifically to look after the needs of children.
She also mentioned her surprise to see the former deputy minister of Women, Family and Community Development proposing another ministry to be set up.
“The federal government having too many ministers was one of the things DAP harped on all these years,” she said
Nevertheless, Kho hopes that the process of approving adoption applications and granting of citizenship status to Sarawak-born stateless children would be improved.
“The process is tedious and very time-consuming. From a young age, a stateless child is denied proper education and health benefits.
“The consequence of such circumstances further reduces the prospects of the stateless child when he or she becomes an adult,” she said.
She added that the training and education of children with special needs can also be enhanced.
“I am all for improving the well-being of our children,” she said.
