KUCHING, Oct 20 — Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women’s chief Kho Teck Wan today urged the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to include home-based babysitters and senior citizens’ caretakers as part of the proposed compulsory security screening by the Home Ministry.
To support her argument, she gave the example of senior citizens who are unable to care for themselves or bedridden, and therefore require caretakers who are patient.
“The mandatory security screening will greatly increase the safety and well-being of vulnerable groups in our society,” she said in a statement.
She was responding to a proposal raised by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri in Parliament yesterday.
Kho said she supports the proposal to make security screening compulsory for individuals who want to work as babysitters.
She noted that Nancy’s proposal was aimed at reducing child abuse at daycare centres.
“As society progresses where both set of parents are working, more and more babies and young children are placed in full-time daycare centres,” she noted.
Kho said it is time for the government to implement background checks for those working in daycare so parents know that their children are in good hands.
Nancy, in replying to a question in Parliament, had said the Social Welfare Department would discuss the proposal to make security screenings compulsory for individuals who want to work as babysitters with the Home Ministry and police.
The Santubong MP said this was to reduce the number of child abuse cases at daycare centres.
Nancy added her ministry would see if psychometric tests would also be part of the candidate screening process.
