New social work law to cover private sector first

 Minister Nancy Shukri says the government will bring public sector workers into the system later.

NGOs offering professional social work services will have to ensure their social workers are registered once the law takes effect, says minister Nancy Shukri. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

The government will make registration compulsory for private social workers but civil servants doing social work as part of their official duties will be exempt for now.

Winding up the debate on the Social Work Profession Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat, women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said the law would cover those working with NGOs, community groups, companies or on their own.

NGOs offering professional social work services would have to ensure their social workers were registered once the law took effect, she added.

Nancy said ordinary volunteers and caregivers would not be covered, as the law only applies to trained practitioners carrying out formal assessments, interventions and case management.

The bill will decide who may work as a professional social worker and use the title. Under the bill, a social worker is a registered practitioner who assesses a person’s needs, arranges help and follows the case until support is no longer needed.

Social workers will have to hold practising certificates. A new council will set standards, receive complaints and take action against those who break the rules.

Nancy said this law was needed because social workers often handled serious cases involving abused children, domestic violence survivors, neglected elderly people, persons with disabilities and families in crisis.

The minister said civil servants, including welfare officers, would only need to register if they carried out social work outside their government duties.

She said the government was starting with the private sector because there was no proper registration system or complete information on them.

She said bringing all government social workers into the system now would involve lengthy coordination between ministries, agencies and state governments and could delay the law.

The government still plans to bring public and private social workers under one system later, but she gave no timeframe.

The bill was passed by a voice vote.

Earlier, Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) called for the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council to operate independently, similar to other professional bodies.

He said registered social workers should eventually elect the council’s leadership, or its appointments should be reviewed by a parliamentary select committee.

Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) supported the proposal but said the bill did not need to be amended. She said the minister could consult registered social workers before appointing their representatives.

Under the bill, the council will be chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general, with the social welfare department director-general sitting as deputy chairman. The minister will appoint the other members and may revoke their appointments without giving a reason.

Several MPs warned that exempting government social workers could create different standards for public and private practitioners.

Others called for experienced NGO workers without formal social work degrees to be allowed to register based on their skills and years of service. - FMT