18.2%
Children Living Below Poverty Line
HIS/BA 2014
Children Engaged in Child Labor
Nik Ahmad, Marhanum, Ashgar & Azizah 2016
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The study consulted a total of 454 working children in four states in Malaysia and found that more than half (63%) of the children had been emotionally abused and around 10% had been sexually abused in the workplace.
Children with Disabilities
Department of Social Welfare 2019
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16,477: Visually & hearing impaired
166,535: Physical & learning disabilities
2,018: Speech & mental
11,816: Others
UNICEF SitAn (2020) however, indicated that based on current population estimates aged 0 - 14 years, this equates to a population of around 440,000 children with disabilities in Malaysia (five per cent of 9,000,000). In a separate UNICEF study, 73.5% of respondents thought children with disabilities should be institutionalised.
Financial assistance is also provided for students with disabilities at local higher learning institutions on a full time or part time basis, including long distance programmes. The students receive up to RM5,000 per year or RM20,000 for the whole duration of studies. In addition, DSW also provides assistive devices to children with disabilities through the Financial Assistance for Artificial Aids and Assistive Devices scheme.
In order to enable early intervention, MOH carries out growth and developmental assessment for early detection of disabilities among children aged 0 - 6 years at 2,881 health clinics and community clinics as of 2018. As of December 2018, there were 3,194 physiotherapists and 2,772 occupational therapists to provide early intervention and rehabilitative services for children with special needs. In 2018, there were 3,338 CBR trained workers (supervisors and workers) to undertake rehabilitation programmes at the CBR centres, make home visits and facilitate parental involvement.
12%
Left Behind Children (Migration)
UNICEF 2020
Ethnic Minority Children
UNICEF SitAN 2020
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International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Indigenous World 2019 - estimated indigenous persons represented 13.8% of the country’s population (2017). The indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, known as Orang Asli, live predominantly in rural areas and represent around 0.7% of the population of Peninsular Malaysia. The indigenous peoples of Sarawak (Dayak and/or Orang Ulu) comprise 70.5% of the population and the 39 different indigenous groups of Sabah (Anak Negeri) make up 58.6% of the population there.
Remain as one of the groups of children that do not enjoy the benefits of these gains, who are being left behind their peers, and who are rendered invisible or marginalised through lack of legal status or the application of discriminatory laws, exclusion from data collection systems, social stigmatisation and by virtue of policy vacuums, which all impact on their ability to access essential services and realise their rights.
Children Affected by HIV (10 - 19 yrs old)
UNAIDS 2019
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Children orphaned by AIDS will be placed by Department of Social Welfare in FBC or care institutions for care and protection.
Children Affected by HIV (0 - 14 yrs old)
UNAIDS 2019
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Children orphaned by AIDS will be placed by Department of Social Welfare in FBC or care institutions for care and protection.
Children Experiencing Violence
Department of Social Welfare 2019
Children in Conflict with the Law
Ministry of Home Affairs 2019
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18 years of age who have been arrested by the police due to an alleged conflict with the law. Of which, 1,325 found guilty of an offence by a court and have been sentenced to detention. In addition, 4,665 are under probation order (Department of Social Welfare, 2019).
Children on the Move (Asylum-seekers)
UNHCR Global Trends 2020
Children on the Move (Refugees)
UNHCR Global Trends 2020
Stateless/Undocumented Children
UNICEF SitAn 2020
i
In 2016, the former home minister of Malaysia, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi estimated that there are around 290,000 stateless children in the country. According to a paper titled, ‘Protecting the Children’s Right to Nationality in Malaysia: An Appraisal’, published by the Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (HRMARS), there are several factors leading to the creation of stateless children in Malaysia – failure of marriage registration by their parents, unregistered births, adopted or abandoned children, and children of refugees and undocumented migrants.
6%
Child Marriage
UNICEF 2018, End of Childhood Index Rankings 2019
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Aged 15-19 (girls). Data refer to the most recent year available during the period 2005-2012. Though SUHAKAM Annual report 2018 indicated, 15,000 marriages involving children over the past decade, with Muslim girls allowed to marry before age of 16 with permission from a Syariah court judge.
Substance Abuse
National Anti-drugs Agency (NADA) 2020
i
Age 13 -18. Community-based programmes are also available where children are put under supervision and treated as outpatient clients. In 2018, 130 children (below 18 years) have benefitted from the Cure & Care Clinics, whereas 1,132 children have benefitted from community-based programmes as outpatient clients. In 2018, MOH also introduced One Stop Centres for Addiction in designated clinics to provide a holistic and integrated treatment for alcohol and substance abuse (KPWKM, 2nd to 5th Periodic Reports 2008-2018).
Sexual Abuse
UNICEF SitAn 2020
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MWCFD shared between 2010 and May 2017, 22,134 children were reported to be sexually abused, while 13,272 children were reported to have been raped. The data also reported 6,014 cases of children being sexually molested and 796 cases of incest.
Children in Need of Care and Protection
Department of Social Welfare 2019
UASC Detained in Immigration Depots
Ministry of Home Affairs 2019