A dedicated helpline for children is needed, especially during the pandemic. Photo: 123rf
Child helpline Buddy Bear has trained more volunteers to support their helpline for children in need during the pandemic.
Buddy Bear founder Pam Guneratnam says: “We reiterate the need to revive a nationwide, government-supported dedicated child-centric helpline to serve all children who need help and protection.”
“Children need access to a safe, kind and non-judgemental voice who will listen to them and we are willing to fill in that gap. Our volunteers are all trained in psychological first aid, they have been screened and their backgrounds checked by JKM, and are supervised by registered mental health professionals, says Guneratnam.
LETTER | Additional women representatives must make real impact
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LETTER | As an organisation which upholds gender equality and social justice, the Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) welcomes the Penang chief minister’s recent announcement of its “Top-Up Women Only Additional Seats” (TWOAS) for the state legislative assembly, the first of its kind in the country.
While Malaysia has acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) since 1995, progress for women in political decision making has been slow. For 25 years, we have never achieved the minimum 30 percent representation of women in Parliament, let alone in any state legislative assembly.