KUALA LUMPUR: The community needs to discard their negative perception towards Reproductive, Social and Health Education (PKRS) as being a subject that teaches teenagers on how to perform sex.National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia (LPPKN) director-general Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman said the misconception caused concern among various quarters that the subject would encourage free sex among teenagers.

“PKRS is comprehensive education with knowledge on the biological, socio-cultural, emotional maturity, mental maturity and spiritual aspects compared to sex education, which is more focused on the biological aspect,” she told reporters after a briefing on the LPPKN PKRS Action Plan, here yesterday.

Aminah said the LPPKN had taken initiatives to increase public awareness on the importance of the subject by carrying out the National PKRS Action Plan.

The action plan was a follow-up measure by the LPPKN after the cabinet approved the PKRS policy last November, she said.

“We carried out a pilot project last year in five schools in the Federal Territory, Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Pahang focusing on students.

“This year we are carrying out the same project but targeting the parents and students,” she said.

She said the LPPKN had planned several programmes under the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), kafe@Teen programme and the Home Economics module to reduce sensitivity and misconceptions among the community towards the subject.

Aminah said with frequent reports on baby dumping and free sex among teenagers in the media, PKRS needs to be applied to teenagers as well as their parents.

She added that the board targets 100,000 family members who will be more aware and responsive towards PKRS by year-end. — Bernama