NGOs: Social Inclusion Act needed

Two NGOs have come together to kick-start a proposal for a new Act of Parliament which they have called the Social Inclusion Act 2012.

The two NGOs, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and Persatuan Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia are proposing this Act as a means to treat the causes of social injustices, marginalisation and inter-generational cycle of poverty.

Lawyer and immediate past-president of Hakam, Malek Imtiaz Sarwar and SABM's Jayanath Appudurai of SABM presented the draft of the Act to the media recently and asking the public to offer their thoughts to it.

This effort they say is non-partisan and they hope to engage politicians from both sides of the divide because they say thus far programmes addressing poverty, marginalisation and social ills only treat the symptoms and not the causes. They believe a Social Inclusion Act will treat the causes.