KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will enhance the standard operating procedures (SOP) for providing protection to children on a larger scale.
This comes after the ministry's experience in handling children rescued during Op Global involving children linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISB).
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said this experience was seen as a risk management process that required prompt action from the ministry.
"In this case, the police did not have the jurisdiction to protect the children rescued (in Op Global). Therefore, we immediately took action by considering their assets and placement," she said.
"We needed to make arrangements to transfer them to protected shelters, ensuring that their facilities, such as beds, were sufficient, and that the environment was safe," she added.
She made these comments during a press conference at the 2024 National Children's Day celebration at the World Trade Centre (WTC) here today.
Also present were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
The event was officiated by the wife of the prime minister, who is also Bandar Tun Razak member of parliament, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Nancy said that the ministry was grateful for the assistance provided by private agencies that helped ease the burden with their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
"We need to ensure that shelters have adequate facilities, and when assets such as beds are insufficient, we need to purchase new assets," she said.
"We are thankful that many private agencies have stepped forward to help ease the burden, which has expedited the process of obtaining necessary assets," she added.
She acknowledged that the situation in this case was complex and required great patience from the officers who faced staffing challenges. However, everything went smoothly with the cooperation of various agencies.
In a separate development, Nancy announced that the 2024 National Children's Day celebration today marked the launch of the new National Children's Policy.
She said that the policy focuses on several areas, including protection from violence, exploitation, and neglect.
"Other focuses of the policy include holistic development in terms of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects," she said.
"It also emphasises the participation of children in decision-making processes that affect their lives," she added.
According to Nancy, this policy will be a crucial step in strengthening efforts to safeguard children's welfare.
"It also ensures that their voices are heard and considered in every decision that impacts their future," she concluded.