KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The Dewan Rakyat today approved the Social Work Profession Bill 2026, which aims to establish a specific legal framework to regulate and empower the profession in the country by establishing the Malaysian Social Work Profession Council.
The Bill was passed by a majority vote after being debated by 23 MPs from both sides of the divide.
Winding up the debate, Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the Act will be implemented in stages, first establishing the Council before extending the regulation to public-sector social workers.
At the initial stage, the act requires the registration of all private-sector social work practitioners, including those serving with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations, corporate companies, and independently, while public officers need to register only if they practice social work outside their official government duties.
Public-sector social workers are currently subject to supervision systems, training, standard operating procedures, existing codes of ethics and regulations, and must undergo a complex coordination process among ministries and agencies before any mandatory registration mechanism can be implemented.
"The government remains committed to the long-term goal of comprehensive integrated regulation and developing a suitable legal roadmap for all social workers in the public sector and in Malaysia in general," she said.
Nancy added that the Council will later play a role in developing regulations, guidelines, and frameworks for the qualifications and competencies of the profession, in addition to establishing a complaints committee, drafting guidelines related to the safety and welfare of social workers, and considering proposals, including a national social worker reciprocity plan.
The Act does not apply to volunteers or caregivers; it regulates only professional social work practitioners. Matters related to the minimum wage remain subject to existing laws, and the Council's operational costs will be funded by the government through annual allocations.
She said the Bill also provides room for continuous improvement through regulations and guidelines to be developed by the Council, and she described the Bill's approval as the end of a decade-long wait to recognise the social work profession in the country.
Earlier, during the debate session, Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee proposed that social workers in the government sector should also be subject to the same professional standards as practitioners in the private sector and NGOs.
The exemption for public officers from holding a practice certificate, as provided under Clause 19, raises questions, considering they also handle high-risk cases involving the protection of children, disabled persons, the elderly, and families in need of assistance.
"The people are entitled to receive the same professional standards, regardless of whether the service is provided by the government, NGOs or the private sector," he said.
Meanwhile, Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali suggested that the government provide various incentives, including special grants to NGOs, scholarships, and placement incentives in rural areas, to ensure the implementation of the act achieves its objectives.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng expressed support for efforts to elevate social work to a recognised profession, while emphasising that this recognition should be accompanied by the establishment of an independent and transparent body, with fair enforcement and balanced punishment.
Beaufort MP Datuk Siti Aminah Aching hoped that the Act will produce more professional human capital through competitive career schemes across the country, including in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow.
