The Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development yesterday unveiled the Social Development Council (MMPS) strategic plan for 2018 to tackle social issues in the state.

Its minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said among the many social issues  her ministry will be focussing on are the abuse of drugs, petty crimes, vagrants, domestic violence, sexually transmitted infections, sexual abuse of children and women, teenage pregnancy, marriage and divorce and personal documentation.

“One of the focal activities that are very important under MPS is carrying out research and development. We would like to carry out the programmes after identifying the social issues and research so that whatever we do, be it intervention programme or creating awareness or prevention, it should be based on evidences. This is why research is very important,” she said.

Fatimah was speaking at the press conference on the Social Development Council (MPS) strategic plan for 2018 at her ministry yesterday.

She disclosed that this year they would be carrying out researches on the Social Welfare Index of Sarawak, evaluation of training and the effectiveness of courses provided by Wisma Wanita Training Centre Sarawak, women involvement in NGOs at grassroots level from 2018-2030, factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Kapit, drug and substance abuse among secondary school students and a comprehensive study on causative factors leading to stateless children in Sarawak.

“From the research we would be able to identify the areas of strength and weakness so that we can plan for the district, divisional and state levels and this is also to allow the state to focus on social development and also on the welfare of the people,” Fatimah said, adding the budget for the six researches would be around RM1.04 million.

She also disclosed that the ministry would carry out three big programmes – open dialogue (wacana minda) on 2005-2015 social trend report; think tank dialogue (wacana bestari) on marital and divorce problems, saving vagrants, sexual abuse of children and women and domestic violence; and community dialogue in various divisions on matters relating to sexually transmitted infections, implication of improper marriage and petty crimes and drug and substance abuse.

“There will also be a road show relating to One Stop Teenage Pregnancy Committee (OSTPC) at various divisions, social intervention programmes such as advocacy programme on sex education and various workshops,” she said.

In total, the ministry would have to come up with a budget of RM860,000 to carry out the various dialogues and programmes, she added.

Present were Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Wilfred Pilo

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