KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 – The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPKWM) has started a review, together with other ministries and government agencies, on the regulation of confinement centres.
Confinement centres typically provide care in a residential facility for women to recuperate after childbirth, including various services for mother and infant.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun said several stakeholder sessions have been held between KPWKM with the Ministry of Health, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the Social Welfare Department, the National Population and Family Development Board, and the Companies Commission of Malaysia to discuss regulating services by confinement services, including the mechanism for implementation.
Those meetings sought to obtain information on current legislation, registration, operation, licencing, and enforcement.
“However, this issue is still at the discussion stage in setting a policy decision related to the regulation of confinement centres that are seen as a family support system, besides a good implementation model to protect the health and safety of mother and infant,” Rina told Senator Zurainah Musa in a written Dewan Negara reply last March 31.
“Therefore, any plan to enact a specific Act or regulatory standard for the regulation of confinement centres are subject to that policy decision by taking into account the legislation, jurisdiction, and technical aspects currently under the relevant agencies.