DPM: Social Workers Profession Bill to be tabled in Cabinet within a month

BANGI: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi the Social Workers Profession Bill, which was first mooted in 2012 will be tabled in Cabinet in a month.
"The bill is in its final stages and the Attorney General Chambers will finalise everything soon.
"I will make sure the bill will be presented in the cabinet meeting within a month," Ahmad Zahid said during a press conference after he officiated the National Welfare Month 2017 at Bangi Industrial Training and Recovery Centre (PLPP) here.
The bill aims to enhance the delivery of social work interventions, as well as setting a standard and provides training for the country's social workers.
Ahmad Zahid however could not ascertain when the bill could be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
Asked why it took the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry five years to finish the draft, Ahmad Zahid said the bill needs to be very comprehensive and relevant in the long run.
"There might be issues in the legal aspect, but we have to make sure that the bill we are going to present has taken into account every aspect.
"We need to make sure that the bill's validity could reach up to 50 years. So we need to study the possible social problems that we are going to face. It's not like we want that problem to arise, but it is good for us to be prepared," he said.
"Malaysia also will be an aging population country 2030. This means that about 15% of the citizens would be 60 years and above.
"We have about twelve years to be prepared and i will make sure that this bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, then Dewan Negara, before it will be gazzeted as a law in this country," he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said the government will initiate a town hall session with the public to address "social illness" in the country.
He added the initiative will be done under the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) and it aims to gather various ministries and individuals to discuss about the problem.
"The social illness is a serious problem and the government is very serious to address the issue.
"I think the town hall initiative can be done in within this 45 days and i urge many parties, including NGO's to come up front and express their knowledge," he said.