Three medical social workers are urging the government to widen the scope of the long-awaited Social Work Profession Bill, which is expected to regulate only those outside the public sector.
They warned that excluding social workers in the public sector from the Bill would have a detrimental effect.
“We’ve been waiting far too long to obtain a licence as social workers. Even though we are part of the public service and governed by statutory bodies, our profession is still not formally recognised,” said Fatimang Ladola, a medical social worker with 28 years of experience.
“Other professions – doctors, nurses, pharmacists – all have licences and are governed by their respective general orders.”
A medical social worker’s role is to provide psychosocial support to patients and their beneficiaries. This includes conducting biopsychosocial assessments before offering therapeutic interventions and practical assistance.
The Social Work Profession Bill, in development since 2010, aims to regulate and professionalise the social work industry.
Yet, despite the pivotal role of social work and social workers in nation-building for over seven decades, the profession and the services provided remain neither regulated nor legally recognised.
Malaysia is among the last countries in Southeast Asia without such legislation. The profession is already regulated in neighbouring nations such as the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The proposed Bill, once tabled, is expected to cover only those in the private or non-governmental sectors, leaving thousands of public-sector social workers unregulated.
The main reason for their exclusion is that many government social workers do not meet the minimum entry requirement – namely, a formal qualification in social work. As a result, their competency and ability to carry out their duties have often been questioned.
Putrajaya also argues that government social workers are already “regulated” as they follow official guidelines set by the authorities.
Fatimang, 52, said that since their profession is unregulated, their organisations can assign them unrelated tasks.
She added that including public-sector social workers in the Bill would require them to sit for examinations and obtain licences.
“With licensing, medical social workers would have a reason to upgrade their skills, maintain their competence, and follow proper professional guidance,” said Fatimang, who heads the Medical Social Work Centre at University Malaya Medical Centre.
“If we fall under the Social Work Profession Bill, we can tell our organisations: this is our professional duty and priority – if we fail to do it, we risk losing our licence.
“Once licensed, organisations will no longer be able to assign our responsibilities to others.”
She added that being unlicensed means that in cases involving child protection or social case management, any licensed social worker could step in and take over, even if the medical social worker had handled the case from the beginning.
“We are the first professionals the patient sees. It could cause confusion and even conflict if another licensed social worker (outside the medical field) suddenly takes over. We would be powerless to stop that,” she said.
Another medical social worker, Nor Anida Nawawi, said their role risks becoming blurred if they remain unlicensed and unregulated.
She said some medical social workers had been asked to perform finance or administrative duties instead of professional casework, even though patients required specialised expertise.
“Once we obtain our licence, we will have a clear professional identity. Our plans, recommendations, and proposals will be formally recognised,” said Nor Anida, 46, who has served as a medical social worker for 22 years.
“We are fortunate that in our hospital, the medical staff trusts us and allows us to make decisions. Licensing will strengthen this trust further. It will also give us the authority to make official reports, such as to the police, when necessary – something essential for protecting vulnerable clients.”
While Twentytwo13 understands that the initial version of the Bill will exclude public-sector social workers as part of a phased approach towards full regulation, critics argue that it would be better to ensure inclusivity from the start rather than amend the Act later.
“There will be those who disagree. But at this point, we see this as the only option for us to move forward, given the current shortcomings we face,” said an insider.
Mohamed Afiq Mohamed Fauzi, a medical social worker with 11 years of experience, said the Bill was crucial because it ensures accountability on both sides – for the client and the practitioner.
“It protects everyone involved,” said the 38-year-old. “That’s why it’s important to be licensed.”
The trio hopes the government will hear the voices of medical social workers and ensure everyone is held to the same professional standards.
Main image: Fatimang (left), Nor Anida (centre), and Mohamed Afiq, say excluding those in the public sector from being regulated under the long-awaited Social Work Profession Bill will have a detrimental effect.
