Hire child protection officers for SWD, not political appointees - Hannah tells Rina

 

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun must prioritise the hiring of child protection officers if she is serious about restructuring the Social Welfare Department (SWD), said Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh.

The former women, family and community development deputy minister said this should be given priority over making political appointments via contract.

"If the minister is serious about restructuring the SWD, she must first give priority to adding around 1,500 child protection officers, (as well as) psychologists, and welfare officers who need to investigate aid requests," Yeoh said in a statement today.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun

She was responding to Rina's announcement that the SWD will make 8,000 contract hires starting next year - in an effort to beef up the agency.

The minister said among those the positions that will be filled are child protection officers and moral officers.

Yeoh said the filling of these 8,000 jobs must not be done in the same manner as Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) volunteers were appointed.

"(YKN volunteers) are given allowances - to this day Rina has not denied that they (the volunteers) are Bersatu women's wing members.

"Don't turn the SWD into a political wing," she said.

Rina had previously told the Dewan Rakyat that Bersatu membership was not a prerequisite to becoming a YKN volunteer and that political background checks were not carried out. - Mkini