KUALA LUMPUR:The government will review the proposed establishment of a Social Work Profession Council for possible inclusion in the Social Work Profession Bill (SWP Bill), said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Nancy said the proposal, raised during a supplementary question from Rodziah Ismail (PH–Ampang), will be studied alongside the ministry’s ongoing review of policy changes in the Bill before it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
She said among the policy amendments being considered is the full application of the law to social workers in the public sector, compared with the earlier proposal that it only covers those in the private sector.
“The SWP Bill aims to establish a clear structure for social workers in the country.
“Among the key provisions in the Bill is that it will apply to all social workers in the private sector, as well as civil servants who do social work outside their official government duties.
“This policy decision was made based on the government’s intention to consider the views of all parties, including feedback from ministries, federal and state agencies, corporations, academics, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) through a series of engagement sessions on the draft Bill,” she said during Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Nancy was responding to Rodziah’s initial question on the mechanism to ensure that the SWP Bill regulates and professionalises social workers in the public sector, granting them recognition on par with other professions.
She said the ministry also held engagement sessions with the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development, which provided various feedback.
This included issues related to the Bill’s policy framework, such as the definition of social work itself and whether the Act should apply to practitioners in both the public and private sectors.
“Therefore, the best approach for the ministry at this stage is to reassess and study the need for policy changes and their feasibility.
“Further engagement sessions with all stakeholders, including federal and state agencies that employ social workers, must be held if the government intends to amend the policy matters in the SWP Bill,” she said.
In July, Nancy had said that the SWP Bill was expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat by the end of this year.
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