by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 1: With the rise in teenage pregnancies in Malaysia, discussions on sexual and reproductive health can no longer be sidelined or regarded as taboo, Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development, Dato Sri Nancy Shukri says.
She pointed out that these conversations are crucial for the well-being and future of the nation’s youth.
In the past five years, Malaysia recorded 44,263 cases of teenage pregnancies, of which 17,646 involved unmarried teenage mothers.
“Our teenagers today are growing up in a rapidly evolving world, influenced by global cultures and unrestricted access to digital information.
“Conversations around sexual and reproductive health can no longer be avoided or considered taboo.
“If we do not address these topics openly, misinformation will fill the gap. Parents, educators, and communities must take the lead in guiding our children towards informed, responsible choices,” Nancy Shukri said in her speech at the launch of ‘Dawn Hope’, Sarawak’s first transit shelter for girls in need, here today.
“These numbers are not just statistics; they represent lives, dreams, and futures that deserve our care and attention,” she underscored.
She said, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has been actively working with federal and state agencies, as well as civil society organisations, to implement policies and programmes that strengthen sexual and reproductive health education.
The ‘Dawn Hope’ facility, launched today, is a shelter for young girls facing early motherhood and other social challenges.
The facility, established in collaboration with Yayasan Sime Darby and Pertubuhan Pembangunan Insan Sarawak (PPIS), aims to provide shelter, rehabilitation, and empowerment programmes for young girls facing crisis situations, including teenage mothers.
At the transit shelter, the young girls will receive essential support such as protection, healthcare, mental health services, counselling, and parenting guidance.
As part of YSD’s collaboration with PPIS, YSD chairman Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar said the foundation also aim to address the important social issues of prevention of teenage pregnancies as well as baby abandonment – with education and awareness programmes, working with PPIS and various NGOs in Sarawak.
Also present were PPIS president Manjeet Kaur Sidhu, YSD governing council member Datu Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, director of the National Budget Office, Ministry of Finance Datuk Shahrol Anuwar Sarman, Petroleum Sarawak Bhd chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Hamid Bugo, and other distinguished guests. – DayakDaily
