PUTRAJAYA, Oct 23 — De facto law minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is working to increase public awareness about Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act.

Section 19 makes it an offence for anyone who knows about sexual abuse against a child but fails to report it to the police. Those who are found guilty in court can be fined up to RM5,000.

"We have to give the message that the Sexual Offences Against Children Act is not about children being victims but society at large.

"It is a joint responsibility of everyone who is in the community to be wholly responsible, not just family members, so we want to look beyond.

"I'm trying to figure out through references of complaints made, whether neighbours are aware, are they reporting or not, noticing or not,” the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) told reporters after launching the 6G Legal e-Clinic at the Legal Affairs Division building here today.

She said her ministry is working to create public awareness on Section 19 as many people were unaware of its enforcement.

Azalina said she will be meeting with police officers in the Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division and later the Children's Commissioner to improve community awareness programmes.

Last month, Azalina said the proposed law to create an independent Children's Commission ― otherwise known as the Office of the Children's Commissioner ― is expected to be tabled in the current Dewan Rakyat sitting.

The OCC is currently placed under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), but Azalina was reported saying on July 31 that the OCC has to be taken out from Suhakam as the latter mostly handles human rights matters and the OCC has to look beyond human rights.

She had also said the commission's functions would include holding inquiries and investigation complaints on violations of children's rights; advise and assist the government in making laws, administrative directives, procedures and recommending actions to be taken; and advise the government about international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other related international agreements.