Amendments to child act gazetted and will be enforced soon

PETALING JAYA: The Child Act (Amendment) 2015 was gazetted today and will be enforced soon, said Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim.
"The Child Act (Amendment) 2015 is more comprehensive as it comprises several aspects such as protection, maintenance, recovery, progress and participation," she said in a statement, adding that the ministry will be conducting campaigns to raise awareness and ensure all agencies are prepared when the act is fully enforced in the future.
The ministry said four main amendments were made, including the expansion of the child registry and a heavier penalty for the abuse and neglect of children.
The child registry will now contain records of convicts who committed crimes against children to allow screenings to be conducted on individuals working with children as an added safety measure.
Meanwhile, the penalty for those found guilty of abusing, exploiting or neglecting children was increased to RM50,000 and the prison sentence was increased to 20 years.
Previously, those found guilty were liable to a fine not exceeding RM20,000 and a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or both.
It also included a community service order (CSO) option for children involved in criminal activities and parents or guardians who abuse or neglect children.
The CSO would allow offenders to undergo rehabilitation by performing community work, counseling sessions and awareness programmes as an alternative to a prison sentence or fine.
The other change was that abandoned children should be placed in a family based environment and only sent to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as a last resort.
The amendments to the act was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on April 6 and approved by Dewan Negara on May 4.