DALAT: Social problems were touched on at the Islami c Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (PERKIM) Dalat/Oya Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) here recently. Among the subjects discussed were adolescent pregnancy, divorce, abandoning of infant, child abuse, drug abuse and other related crimes including domestic violence. These issues were brought up by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah when she officiated at the AGM held at Stadium Perpaduan Dalat.
She revealed that the adolescent pregnancy rate in Sarawak was the second highest in the nation after Sabah. “This situation really worries our ministry because those involved decided not to continue their schooling and some did not even marry even though they gave births. Of late, the cases have increased,” she said.
Fatimah, who is also Dalat State Assemblywoman, urged youths to be aware of such social problems. She pointed that a happy family was the foundation of a prosperous family and community which should be desired by all. She hoped member s of PERKIM Dalat/Oya would play their role in preventing such cases from happening in the society. A motivational talk attended by students of SMK Oya was also held in conjunction with the AGM.
Present at the AGM were Sarawak PERKIM Chairwoman, Datuk Hanifah Taib Alsree, Dalat District Officer, Kueh Lei Poh, PERKIM Dalat/Oya Chairwoman, Hatiah Sepawi and SMK Oya Principal, Maliah Sirat.
