THE Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has proposed commensurate punishment for abusers under the Children’s Commission Bill to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat in October.

Its minister Nancy Shukri said to safeguard the interests of children, the bill must be implemented effectively and in line with the Child Act 2011 (Amendment 2016).

“We want them (abusers) to be given a severe punishment even though (enforcement) is not under us. We provide recommendations to the relevant parties and it is essential there is an understanding between my ministry and the commission so there is no overlap.

“(For example,) those who are found abusing should be punished with whipping but there are parties who do not agree, so the proposal we put forward is not reckless because we had held a comprehensive discussion,” she told reporters after the Segulai Sejalai Family Love Tour Programme in Kuching today.

Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 provides for a fine of not more than RM50,000 and 20 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of abusing, neglecting and mistreating a child.

Earlier, media reports said the bill, to be presented by Legal and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said, was drafted after engagement sessions with stakeholders, knowledge exchange sessions and in-depth studies.

Regarding the “Segulai Sejalai” programme, Nancy said 3,587 women in Sarawak have undergone breast cancer and cervical cancer (HPV DNA) screenings this year as of August 22.

“So far, Sarawak has recorded 226 HPV cases and, praise be to God, no pre-cancer cases or cancer cases,” she said.

Organised by the National Population and Family Development Board, the programme provides awareness and HPV DNA screening services for early detection of cervical cancer and registration for mammograms.

For this year, 2,747 women underwent mammograms, with 30 of them asked to attend follow-up checks while three tested positive for breast cancer. – Bernama, September 3, 2023.