A person watching the live presentation of the 2022 Budget by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz at Parliament, in Penang, October 29, 2021. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The government has announced RM13 million under the Budget 2022 to beef up the police’s D11 unit which investigates sexual crimes against women and children.
In a push to address women’s issues better, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz also announced efforts to address period poverty.
“The health and personal hygiene aspects of adolescent girls are very important in reducing any health risks and dropping out of school. My deputy, YB Paya Besar (Shahar Abdullah) had in an engagement session, identified a serious issue. An estimated 130,000 young women from B40 families in Malaysia do not have access to hygiene products such as sanitary napkins due to financial constraints.
“Therefore, the Malaysian Population and Family Development Board in collaboration with the Malaysian Prisons Department will distribute free basic personal hygiene kits every month to 130,000 B40 teenage girls. In addition, reproductive health campaigns and education will also continue to be conducted in schools in collaboration with NGOs,” he announced.
For the police, 100 new jobs under the department are expected to be created.
He said that community awareness programmes on violence against women will also be conducted nationwide, using the WajaSquad, made up of volunteers under the Women’s Development Department.
Tengku Zafrul said that to protect the welfare of more victims of domestic violence, the government will also increase local social support centres, and work with NGOs to increase the number of special protection homes for women.
He said that RM11 million will also be allocated as subsidy for mammogram tests for high risk women and to conduct cervical cancer screenings for women.