PS The Children Urges Dedicated Funding For Child Protection
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Protect and Save The Children Malaysia (PS the Children) has welcomed the government’s move to strengthen police capabilities to combat online child sexual exploitation under Budget 2027, while calling for dedicated and transparent funding for child protection.
The non-governmental organisation said investment in detection capabilities must be matched by measures to prevent abuse, encourage reporting and support survivors.
Its executive director, Amnani Abdul Kadir, said upgrading the Royal Malaysia Police’s (PDRM) D11 division, which handles sexual crimes involving women and children, was an important step towards preventing further abuse.
“We thank the government for putting online child sexual exploitation squarely on the national agenda. Upgrading D11’s detection capability is exactly the kind of investment that can stop a predator before he reaches the next child.
“But technology alone cannot protect a child who does not know that what is happening to her is abuse, or who has no one safe to tell. Prevention, reporting and recovery must be funded with the same seriousness as enforcement,” she said in a statement yesterday.
PS the Children urged the government to publish dedicated allocations for child protection, including funding for D11, the Children’s Commissioner and child protection services under the Social Welfare Department (JKM), to enable annual progress to be monitored.
It also called for compulsory, age-appropriate online safety education for children, parents and teachers to help them recognise online grooming, sextortion and image-based abuse, and understand how to report such incidents.
The organisation further urged the government to ensure digital platforms were held accountable under the Online Safety Act for promptly removing child sexual abuse material and detecting grooming behaviour.
On support for survivors, it called for greater investment in trauma-informed counselling, child-friendly courts and specialist investigators in every state.
It also urged the government to strengthen background checks for caregivers, teachers and coaches working with children, alongside the introduction of the new caregiver training programme.
“PS the Children stands ready to work with the government, enforcement agencies, schools, digital platforms and civil society to ensure the Budget measures translate into better protection for children, faster access to justice and real recovery for survivors,” the statement read.
Among the key child protection measures in Budget 2027, tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, is an allocation of nearly RM3.3 billion for JKM.
The measures also include upgrading PDRM’s Malaysia Internet Crime Against Children (MICAC) system with advanced analytics.
In addition, a RM100 million matching grant from Yayasan Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLICs) and Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) will be provided to strengthen the childcare ecosystem and facilitate the training of 6,000 caregivers in more than 50 new areas across nine states.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will also intensify its Safe Internet Campaign in schools nationwide, focusing on cyberbullying and child exploitation.
Budget 2027 also highlights the Anti-Bullying Act, the Online Safety Act, a strengthened role for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the Children’s Commissioner, as well as reforms to criminal and evidence laws to provide more effective protection for victims, children and vulnerable groups.
-- BERNAMA