The Dewan Negara passed the Social Work Profession Bill 2026, establishing an inclusive Malaysian cross-sector council
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara today passed the Social Work Profession Bill 2026, which, among others, provides for the establishment of an inclusive Malaysian Social Work Profession Council comprising representatives from the government, private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and academia.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying said the composition of the council is stipulated under Clause 3(2) of the Bill to ensure balance and inclusivity through representation from various sectors nationwide.
She said the council’s leadership structure would be headed by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) as chairman, with the director-general of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) serving as deputy chairman, enabling more effective cross-agency coordination.
Lim said the approach is also in line with international standards, such as those practised in Hong Kong, where decisions are made collectively by the council rather than by individuals.
“We will have social workers from every state, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors. This means social work practitioners are assured of representation under the Act.
“In addition, the allocation for experts from the private sector provides broad opportunities for representatives of professional associations, NGOs, social work educators and academics to be appointed by the minister based on merit and expertise,” she said when winding up the debate on the Bill at its second reading in the Dewan Negara.
The Bill was passed by a majority voice vote after being debated by 19 senators.
According to Lim, members of the council will be appointed for a term not exceeding two years to ensure expertise in the field can be fully utilised across various sectors.
When tabling the Bill, Lim said the legislation is important to enhance the professionalism of the social work field, which is now facing increasingly complex social issues.
She said the Bill provides for the establishment of the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council to regulate the registration of practitioners, set professional competency standards, and oversee the ethics and discipline of social workers.
“The Bill is important to enable us to increase the number of qualified social workers in Malaysia from the private sector and NGOs who can work hand in hand with the government in providing social services to the people,” she said.
Lim said the move would also protect the public from individuals who misuse the title of social worker without the necessary qualifications, while recognising the profession as an important career in strengthening the nation’s social welfare ecosystem.
The sitting resumes on Monday.
