Maria calls for more graduates in social welfare sector

Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah.

PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah has called for more workers, especially university graduates who can help improve the support system for victims of rape and domestic violence.

Speaking to FMT on the sidelines of the PJ Women Festival 2020 here, she said there are fewer than 10 social welfare centres which focus on such issues.

“In Malaysia, we don’t have enough centres or workers to deal with rape cases,” she said.

At the moment, she added, centres must deal with a variety of cases including substance abuse and those who run away from their families.

“If you are a rape victim, you need a different type of counselling.

“The same goes for drug problems – you cannot give the same type of help. We need to build a better support system for these people, and the only way to do it is by having more people in the social services.”

When asked how more graduates might be attracted into the sector, she said it was up to the country’s leaders to pump more money into such areas.

“This will create more job opportunities for graduates,” she added. - FMT