KUALA LUMPUR – Sex education must no longer be treated as a taboo subject, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri stressed today, urging for a more serious and holistic approach to the topic across Malaysia.
“Sex education is included in the school curriculum, but its content remains limited and is often underemphasised. This is a shortcoming that we must address immediately,” she said during a press conference after officiating the Malaysia Madani statehood seminar in Lundu, Sarawak.
Nancy said the conversation must go beyond schools and include parents, government agencies and the wider community to better equip children and teenagers in navigating today’s increasingly digital and risky environment, Bernama reported.
“The reluctance of teachers to address the topic, often due to shyness or cultural sensitivities, has resulted in sex education being only lightly touched upon, even though it is included in the textbooks,” she noted.
Her remarks come amid growing concern over the exposure of minors to inappropriate content and risky behaviour online. In a recent incident in Kelantan, a police officer who checked his 14-year-old daughter’s mobile phone discovered sexually suggestive messages exchanged with a teenage boy.
She added that the issue had already been raised at the highest levels, including in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim involving various ministries and government agencies.
Describing it as a matter of safety and well-being, Nancy said parenting programmes under her ministry would also begin to incorporate elements of sex education to help parents communicate more openly and effectively with their children.
“This is an issue that concerns the safety and well-being of our children, and we are actively exploring the most effective and comprehensive ways to address it,” she said. – April 20, 2025