LUNDU: Sex education must be given more serious attention through a comprehensive approach involving schools, parents, and various government agencies.
Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri emphasised that it should be seen as a crucial element in shaping values and ensuring the protection of children and adolescents, especially in the digital age.
“We have already discussed this matter in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, involving the Ministry of Education, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and the Ministry of Health.
“While sex education is included in the school curriculum, its content is very limited. Despite being seen as taboo, it remains an essential value that needs to be learned,” she said after officiating at the Malaysia MADANI Nationhood Seminar, organised by the Malaysia Nationhood Academy at the Sampadi Nationhood Training Centre today (April 20).
Additionally, the Santubong MP noted that teachers’ reluctance to present the topic to students, as well as cultural constraints, contribute to the limited teaching of sex education, even though it is included in textbooks.
“This is a matter of children’s safety and wellbeing. We are exploring the best ways to address this issue comprehensively,” she said.
Nancy added that her ministry would ensure that parenting programmes incorporate sex education elements, helping parents engage with their children openly and safely on the subject.
