LAHAD DATU: The government has been urged to review laws concerning juvenile offenders and introduce new measures to safeguard the wellbeing of the younger generation.
Sabah Consumer Affairs and Protection Society (Caps) deputy president Datuk A Nagaraju, in a press conference on Thursday, said the Child Act 2001, in force since August 2002, was designed to protect the rights and welfare of children, but no longer fully reflects current realities.
He said the age limit for juvenile offenders should be lowered from under 18 to under 15, noting that individuals eligible to vote should be mature enough to take responsibility for their actions.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Nagaraju also proposed prohibiting children under 16 from owning social media accounts, with legal consequences for parents who allow access, as part of a proposed ‘Childhood Reform’ to protect them from online risks.
He added that Caps recommends a single school session from 8am to 4.30pm to keep children engaged in structured learning and healthy activities.