The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s records show a total
of 152,182 children were born out of between 2008 and 2010, the Dewan
Rakyat was told today.
Its Deputy Minister, Heng Seai Kie, said of the number, Sabah recorded the
highest with 41,490 followed by Selangor (18,983) and Sarawak (17,570).
She drew the attention of members to the fact that the National Population
and Family Development Board (LPPKN) had initiated a strategic cooperation
with the National Training Service Department to integrate reproductive
health education and social education.
She said this in answering a question from Mohd Jidin Shafee (BN-Setiu).
Heng also said six centres had been set up to provide psychosocial-related
information and counselling as well as living skills for groups at high
risk pertaining to babies born out of wedlock, particularly those aged 13
to 24.
“This outreach programme in schools and local communities has succeeded in
drawing 257,147 teens through 4,698 programmes from November 2005 until
September 2011,” she added.
Meanwhile, Health Deputy Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said 24,813
people were warded at government hospitals for mental-related illness last
year.
“At the moment we have four mental institutions, 42 government hospitals
that provide mental treatment and 124 specialists in the field,” she said,
in reply to a supplementary question from Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman
(PAS-Pengkalan Chepa).
– Bernama
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