At a forum on social welfare, moderator Sayed Munawar Sayed Mohd Mustar said that having layers of institutions to tackle corruption means that the people’s money are being spent without results, given Malaysia’s low ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index. However, Mohd Nasir Ab Hadi, president of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Organisation, said MACC is hampered in its efforts to eradicate corruption due to its limitations.
The BFBL programme has successfully nurtured 249 graduates, with an impressive 90 per cent employment rate achieved within three months post-graduation.
“A social and psychological rehabilitation process managed by child protection officers and psychological officers has been implemented and is ongoing to ensure that the children receive the appropriate intervention,” said Nancy Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development.
The Glucerna #StartsWithYou campaign calls on Malaysians to adopt positive lifestyle changes and share their personal journey with diabetes management.
Physical sexual assault on a child recorded the highest number of cases among sexual offence cases with 1,389 cases in 2023. However, child pornography had the highest increase (139.3 per cent) from 28 cases in 2022 to 67 cases in 2023. Rape cases was the most among sexual crime cases involving children with 1,500 cases and had the highest increase at 17.5 per cent.
Statistics show that everything is good but when we go to the grassroots, we see the suffering of the citizens, said Prof Denison Jayasooria, head of the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals. Instead of going on the ground for a launch or to officiate a programme, authorities should go to listen to the concerns of the grassroots.
Living with psoriasis remains a challenging condition, but increased awareness, early diagnosis, and consistent treatment can significantly improve the quality of life for those affected.
The Malays had the highest birth rates from 2022 to 2024, while the Chinese had the lowest birth rates in the same period, according to figures provided by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
The CSO Platform for Reform said that the Social Work Profession Bill, which has been in the pipeline for more than 10 years, is essential for formalising the responsibilities, training,and ethical standards of social workers. “This prolonged delay has significantly impeded the ability of social workers to provide effective services and care, especially for children, the elderly, and marginalised communities.”
The majority (74 per cent) of missing children in the country were girls, says Saifuddin Nasution. “Don’t wait until after 24 hours because this involves children. Make a report immediately.”
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for those with serious illnesses, offering them the best chance to live fully while managing their condition.
The Understanding Pathways To Adolescent Pregnancy report found that many of the girls surveyed lacked knowledge about SRH topics, their partners or husbands were the decision-makers on whether to use contraceptives, and they had little to no say in the resolution of their pregnancies.
Malaysia has an elderly population (above age 60) of 3.7 million and will require 600 geriatricians, but currently, there are only 38 of them serving in MOH hospitals, said Dr Saidatul Norbaya Buang, deputy director, Family Health Department Division, Ministry of Health (MOH).
While traditionally associated with older women, there is a troubling rise in breast cancer cases among younger women, highlighting the need for increased awareness and early detection.
Experts say Malaysia must address the issues of unaffordable elderly care, lack of age-friendly infrastructures, and the rise of non-communicable diseases among the elderly.
The collaboration aims to complement both organisations’ core services by keeping health care professionals upskilled and current on the latest medical practices, as well as empowering patients through community-based initiatives to promote health awareness and preventive care.
“We need to reform the labour force to match what the population composition that we currently have can deliver for our economy,” says Tengku Aira Tengku Razif, assistant representative to the UNFPA. “If we have a more older population, we should allow them to participate in the economy and similarly with women as well.”
The Minister of Women, Family and Community Development said the challenges facing Malaysia’s ageing society include the financial vulnerability of the elderly — particularly post pandemic — increasing number of older people suffering from NCDs, and the heavy burden of unpaid care work, especially on women.
Dr Wan Hilya Munira Mustapha, head of LPPKN’s Reproductive Health Unit says unplanned pregnancies should be avoided and that is why the use of contraception is vital. “We cannot just encourage pregnancy without ensuring that women are prepared to safely deliver their children.”
Understanding the risks and making informed choices, such as adopting a healthy diet, reducing sodium intake, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle with regular exercises are key steps in preventing hypertension.
The rise of childfree marriages has led to heated debate, especially among Malays. This reflects the deep religious influence on Malaysia’s public discourse.
Some women say the hyper-sexualisation of young girls and depiction of rape in hentai is no less “real” than live-action porn. “They love to draw the female crying during sex,” says a Malaysian woman. “Are they taking pleasure from seeing girls cry?”
A few Malaysians say watching porn skewed their perceptions of love and sex, citing the depiction of aggressive acts against women. “You use me for pleasure; if you feel pleasure, then I’m happy. That was literally my view of sex,” says a Malaysian woman.
The Families On The Edge, Penang report found that in almost all female-headed households, either the household head herself or another female household member was the main caregiver in the house. However, in a large majority of male-headed households, a female household member was mainly responsible for caregiving in the household.
The high prevalence of FGC among Malay Muslim girls and women in Malaysia is at odds with the country’s participation in international treaties and conventions.
To fully benefit from breastfeeding, it is recommended for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their newborn for the first six months and continue breastfeeding until the baby is two years old.
According to a recently published Country Profile on Female Genital Cutting in Malaysia, the lack of consensus among Muslim jurists on the issue of FGC not only stems from the differences in religious interpretations, but may also be explained by a lack of knowledge of female anatomy and development, and the WHO’s classifications.
The Malaysian Breast Cancer Summit envisions a future where patients and survivors can reclaim their lives, striving to forge a brighter and better-informed breast health landscape in Malaysia.
“Children are not little adults. Their bodies are far more vulnerable to extreme heat. Young bodies heat up faster, and cool down more slowly. Extreme heat is especially risky for babies due to their faster heart rate, so rising temperatures are even more alarming for children,” says UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
According to a recently published Country Profile on Female Genital Cutting in Malaysia, studies show that the size of a child’s genitals and girls’ development processes mean that ‘a little incision’ and ‘a right process’ cannot be guaranteed to cause no harm, may inflict on the baby a high level of pain and may even result in her losing her clitoris.
By exploring the interconnectedness of the physical body, vital energy, and emotional resilience, TCM seeks to promote harmony within the body-mind-spirit continuum.
“Pei Pa Koa can be harmful especially to pregnant women and young children because it contains licorice,” said Lim En Ni, chief pharmacist of Alpro Pharmacy.
While Malaysia has made strides in reducing Hepatitis B prevalence through vaccination, challenges remain in screening, early diagnosis, and public awareness.
One out of three school students are either overweight or obese, according to MOH. The prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 19.7 per cent in 2019 to 21.8 per cent in 2023.
The anti-sexual harassment tribunal, which was fully enforced in March this year, has received four sexual harassment complaints as of June 8 this year. Additionally, 50 complaints against stalking were made as of May 31, 2024, a year after the country’s anti-stalking law came into effect.
The number of children under the age of 18 diagnosed with ADHD increased from 79 cases in 2013 to 268 cases in 2023. Meanwhile, the number of children diagnosed with autism under the age of 18 increased from 183 cases in 2013 to 1,681 cases in 2023, according to MOH.
The number of children with autism registered with the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) has been steadily rising, from 6,991 children in 2013 to 53,323 children in 2023.
Investigation papers were opened for 17 cases of child grooming from July 2017 to 2023. 31 cases of child grooming were tried in court in the same period.
Since 2022, 10,766 disabled individuals have been active in the Malaysian workforce with 34.5 per cent of them working in the civil service and 65.5 per cent employed by the private sector.
The Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM), which offers free consultation services on safe, affordable and women-friendly medical and surgical abortion services, as well as contraceptive methods through its hotline, assisted 2,943 clients throughout the country last year.
A joint initiative by EU, ILO, and UNICEF aims to enhance access to education and training opportunities for children working and living in Sabah’s oil palm plantations.
Less than 50 per cent of Malaysian women surveyed said they were taught about reproductive anatomy (32 per cent), contraception (32 per cent), pregnancy and abortion (45 per cent), and sexually transmitted infections (37 per cent).
“It’s a red flag when somebody goes, ‘well, what is there to like? I mean, I lost my mom a long time ago and I don’t like this. This is so hard. Do you know how many refusals I’ve had? Do you know how many times she’s thrown stuff at me’?” said Teepa Snow, a dementia care specialist from the US. “So when somebody says, ‘I love her’ (as a reason for being a carer), I’ll say, ‘yeah, tell me what you like’.”
MOH must take responsibility for promoting the message that there are no medical benefits to FGM, said Rozana Isa, executive director of Sisters in Islam during yesterday’s Cedaw meeting. Regardless of what the practice is called in Malaysia, “at the end of the day, we are still pricking and harming the genitalia of female babies,” she said.
The newly elected EXCO is poised to lead WAO into a future of growth and impact, with a focus on strengthening organisational capacity, fostering collaborations, and advancing strategic initiatives.
“History shows that hate speech has also been used to intentionally mobilise groups and societies against each other in order to provoke escalation of violence, hate crimes, wars or genocide,” said Nalini Elumalai, senior Malaysia programme officer at Article 19.
The focus is on personalised treatment plans, advanced medications, and collaborative management strategies that can significantly improve the quality of life for children with asthma.
Etiqa has committed a further RM1.2 million to provide free cervical screening to 5,700 eligible women from underserved and underprivileged communities.
The Colours of Life event, part of Autism Awareness Month, drew families, professionals, and supporters to engage in meaningful dialogues, interactive activities, and shared learning experiences about autism.
When his wife, Norzey Md Nata, became unconscious for a whole month and then bed-ridden for a year-and-a-half after she suffered from a relapse of multiple sclerosis, Rizal Aminuddin moved the family of six to accommodate her treatment and rehabilitation, and gave up his construction business to manage the children and household.
Oral cancer arises from a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, with significant contributions from both HPV-related and non-HPV-related causes.
When it comes to diabetes, experts explain that physiological differences between Western and Asian populations are significant, stressing the urgent needs for local data to guide the development of effective public health policies.
Preventive health screenings are crucial in identifying risk factors for chronic diseases and non-communicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
With autism rates rising in Malaysia, more understanding is important to educate, understand, and support these individuals so that they can lead fulfilling lives.
BTMC and KL Fertility Centre seek to expand access to specialised fertility treatments and offer patients personalised care throughout their fertility journey.
The embattled former executive director says that the mass resignation of previous exco members in January was prompted partly by her efforts to overhaul WAO’s fundraising model to ensure the organisation’s sustainability.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue akin to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing debilitating pain, severe bloating, fatigue, and an array of symptoms.
Through the Patient Navigation Programme, there has been an improvement in the timeliness of diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and decrease in defaulter rate.
Malaysian Muslim doctors prefer to perform FGC on much younger female infants, between four to six-months-old (34.7 per cent) versus at seven to 12-months-old (32 per cent). This could result in more damage inflicted on younger infants as they could be removing too much growing tissue.
Nur Adila Samingan, dietitian at IMU’s Nutrition and Dietetics Department, explains how to fast with purpose this Ramadan, and discusses the practical aspects of fasting without compromising your health.
Sumitra Visvanathan disputes her “unlawful” suspension as executive director of the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), besides claiming that WAO is now under ROS investigation over the appointment of a new “non-existent” exco that violated WAO’s Constitution.
WAO confirms that Sumitra Visvanathan was suspended as ED on Feb 2, after 7 of 8 exco members quit on Jan 19. The resignations were “precipitated by the breakdown in the working relationship” between the exco and Sumitra. A new exco includes Ivy and Meera.
Internal turmoil is roiling the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), after the resignations of 8 of 9 exco members in Jan. WAO ED Sumitra Visvanathan says she’s fighting attempts to suspend her and will legally challenge the appointment of an interim exco.
The forum brought together leading voices in the field to celebrate, inspire, and empower women in ophthalmology, fostering an environment of empowerment, empathy, and understanding.
Early intervention and regular screenings are essential for detecting and addressing hearing issues promptly, ensuring a better quality of life for the younger generation.