KUALA LUMPUR: Four siblings, including a 10-month-old baby, who were abandoned in front of the guardhouse at the Perak Tengah District Council (MDPT) administrative complex are currently safe after being taken to a hospital by authorities.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said ministry officers took the four children – two boys (age three and 11) a 10-month-old baby boy and a six-year-old girl – to the hospital and thanked the public for sharing information which allowed her ministry to act fast.

"Once there, the ministry still has to obtain an order from the court to bring the children to our institution. They are already in safe hands," she told reporters when asked to comment on the siblings after launching the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women here on Friday (Nov 24).

She also said that the president, deputy president and 10 members of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal would be appointed soon and the tribunal itself would begin operations before January 2024.

During her keynote speech at the event, she said that her ministry was in the final stages of updating the Social Welfare Department's guidelines on handling domestic violence cases to serve as reference and guidance to relevant agencies to coordinate and handle cases effectively.

She added that addressing violence against women is a shared responsibility and all must play a part in ensuring workplaces are safe environments with zero tolerance for harassment or violence of any kind. – Bernama