Answer for Written Question PT062

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd. Salam

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG HAJAH SAFIAH BINTI SHEIKH HAJI ABD. SALAM asks the MINISTER OF CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORTS to state, since its establishment, to what extent has the Majlis Kebangsaan Isu Sosial (MKIS) identified trends in the increase of social issues and assessed their impact on society? What are the Ministry’s initiatives to strengthen MKIS as a strategic data-based entity, with research, continuous monitoring, and active cross-sector collaboration, in order to strengthen the nation’s social resilience as well as ensure the effectiveness of MKIS in addressing increasingly complex social challenges?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan

1. Thank you Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abd. Salam for the question regarding the role of the Majlis Kebangsaan Isu Sosial (MKIS) in identifying trends in the increase of social issues and their impact on society; the strengthening of MKIS and the effectiveness of MKIS in facing increasingly complex social challenges.
2. The Majlis Kebangsaan Isu Sosial (MKIS) functions as a national Ministerial-level platform that leads and monitors the implementation of strategic actions to address various increasingly complex social challenges. This role is carried out through consultations and multilateral discussions via meeting platforms either at the MKIS level itself or at the level of the Special Committees that have been entrusted with their respective terms of reference. This role is an important platform for identifying key social issues that directly affect the well-being of the people. Assessment of the impact of these issues is made comprehensively based on the outcomes of interventions/approaches by implementing agencies, the findings of research conducted, as well as public feedback received through various channels.
3. One of the monitoring platforms used by MKIS is through the implementation of several Action Plans formulated by each Special Committee under MKIS, among them the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, the Immoral Activities and Crime Prevention Action Plan, the Community Mentality Action Plan, and the Family, Women and Children Issues Action Plan. Each of these action plans plays an important role in addressing social issues in a more focused, comprehensive and integrated manner.
4. Any increasing trends related to the 12 social issues addressed by MKIS are monitored through the implementation of these action plans, particularly through the achievement of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that have been targeted in each action plan according to the strategies and initiatives mutually agreed upon.
5. In line with the implementation of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, the fully online Sistem Kebajikan Negara (SKN) has been launched. This system was established with the aim of ensuring that the distribution of welfare assistance is carried out in a more orderly, transparent and effective manner. In addition, SKN also plays an important role in strengthening policy formulation as well as the implementation of poverty eradication intervention programmes that are truly data-based.
6. In addition, MKIS collaboration with research institutions has also been strengthened through the implementation of relevant studies, such as a study on women’s development in Negara Brunei Darussalam. The Executive Summary of this Study will be published in a public version (public version), as a policy reference as well as general knowledge that can be utilised by all parties.
7. In the context of drug abuse issues, the need to bring this matter to the MKIS level has been identified, in line with the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, which emphasises that the importance of joint action between various agencies and layers of society is very much needed. This enables responses to drug issues to be carried out in a more structured and high-impact manner, while involving various relevant sectors.
8. Overall, a data-driven approach, multi-stakeholder collaboration as well as continuous research led through MKIS is in line with efforts to strengthen the nation’s social resilience. This is important to ensure that MKIS remains relevant and effective in responding to increasingly complex and diverse social challenges in today’s social landscape.
9. i. Rehabilitation Unit, Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan (KRK):
   (a) The trend of admission of rehabilitation cases to Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan from 2019 to 2024 overall shows a significant decrease, from 21 cases to 9 cases (a decrease of 57%).
   (b) A total of 9 cases were received in 2020 (a decrease of 57%) and 3 cases in 2021 (a decrease of 86%). This decrease was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and movement restrictions during the spread of COVID-19 in Negara Brunei Darussalam.
   (c) The admission trend began to show a slight increase starting in 2022 (after the COVID-19 pandemic) until 2024, however it was not significant and uniform, namely an increase of:
   • 2 cases in 2022 compared to the previous year (2021);
   • 3 cases in 2023 from 2022; and
   • 1 case in 2024 from 2023.
10. ii. Protection Unit, Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan (KRK):
    (a) The trend of admission of protection cases to Kompleks Rumah Kebajikan from 2019 to 2024 overall shows a very significant decrease, from 63 cases to 5 cases (a decrease of 92%).
    (b) A drastic decrease in protection cases can be seen after the COVID-19 pandemic, namely beginning in 2022 (28 cases), 2023 (13 cases) and 2024 (5 cases).