Parents and persons directly involved with children have been advised to fully utilise the Registry System for Sexual Offenders against Children (e-DKK).

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the registry, introduced on April 1, had so far received 68 applications from individuals and agencies to check on the backgrounds of potential employees.

Subsequently, e-DKK checks were made against 1,254 names, she said in her speech when closing the Social Welfare Department’s Junior Khalifah Programme in Bangi today.

Wan Azizah said the e-DKK system was introduced to enable parents, individuals and employers intending to hire carers to check on the background of potential employees.

This is to ensure these individuals do not have records for sexual offences against children, she said, adding that the service is provided for free.

Meanwhile, Wan Azizah, who is also the women, family and community development minister, said intervention programmes to address social problems among children, or the diversion programme, will be implemented in August in Sepang, Seremban and Port Dickson.

She said the diversion programme would be carried out to assess its suitability, preparedness and capability of the resources involved, and to provide room for improvement prior to its implementation nationwide.

She said the programme is an alternative approach to handle children in conflict with the law without going through the existing justice system.

"This programme is made so that children found involved in minor crimes do not need to go through the remand process and imprisonment.

“We do not want to put them in a situation which can lead them to more serious crime because of their socialising when in prison,” she added.

- Bernama