Govt to adopt integrated approach to tackle rising child sexual crimes, says Ahmad Zahid

The Star

4 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will implement a whole-of-government strategy to address the alarming rise in child sexual crimes, with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealing that such cases surged by over 50% in just four years.
Citing official statistics, Ahmad Zahid said reported child sexual offences rose from 2,541 cases in 2020 to 3,892 cases in 2024, an increase of 53.2%.
He revealed that the number of victims also grew from 2,561 to 3,988, marking a 55.7% jump.
"This upward trend is deeply concerning. The evolution of technology and the industrial revolution have introduced more sophisticated criminal methods, including deepfake technology and digital identity theft.
"To tackle this issue comprehensively and effectively, the government will adopt an integrated approach involving the Home Ministry, the police, Youth and Sports Ministry, and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry," he said in a statement after chairing the second National Social Council (MSN) meeting for 2025 on Tuesday (July 29).
He said among the initiatives planned is the Children's Protection Seminar: Addressing Cyber Threats and Sexual Crimes, which will be held in November.
Ahmad Zahid stressed that MSN remains a critical platform for coordinating cross-ministerial social policy implementation in line with the Madani government's commitment to building an inclusive, resilient, and prosperous society.
"To strengthen the impact of policy implementation, MSN membership has now been expanded to include strategic ministries such as the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories)," he said.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the National Social Policy (DSN) 2030 and progress on its Action Plan 2026–2030, which Ahmad Zahid said is now in its final phase and will be presented to the Cabinet in October.
"The DSN 2030 is the umbrella policy that harmonises 44 national social policies. Its action plan must be executed in a targeted and high-impact manner, with regular monitoring, impact measurement, and high accountability from all agencies," he said.
He said the council also examined several social challenges, including the plight of mentally ill homeless individuals who have slipped through the cracks of mental health intervention due to the lack of dedicated facilities.
"We support the Health Ministry's initiative to establish a taskforce to build psychiatric nursing care homes," Ahmad Zahid said.
Another key proposal discussed was the formation of a Special Committee on National Preschool Islamic Education, aimed at streamlining issues related to registration, safety, health, curriculum strategy, and teaching personnel - a step Ahmad Zahid described as crucial in strengthening early childhood education systems.
The meeting also addressed graduate skill mismatch, with Ahmad Zahid highlighting a Statistics Department's report that showed 2.06 million graduates currently working in jobs that do not match their qualifications.
"To resolve this strategically, the Human Resources Ministry and TalentCorp have launched the MyMahir initiative," he said.
So far, he said 66 industry-based training programmes have been approved under the Future Skills Talent Council, covering high-impact sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and the green economy.
"These programmes offer not only high-skill training but also job guarantees, with average starting salaries ranging from RM3,000 to RM6,000 per month," Ahmad Zahid said.