The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasingha for bringing this important Motion.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka’s social structure has changed: both parents must work due to the cost of living; single-parent households are increasing; yet our public support system has not evolved to care for children left unsupervised before and after school. This is about child safety, development and social equity.

¶ 03 Many children spend long hours alone at home, on streets, or in unsafe surroundings. In the past, mothers watched over children; today circumstances are different. We need proper, well-structured day-care/after-school centres attached to schools or at community level. Rather than a rigid law, provide supportive services via local authorities, provincial councils and education institutions.

¶ 04 Separately, regarding Hajj: there is an urgent issue. Group leaders have not been appointed and have not travelled to Makkah–Madinah to prepare. The platform nusukmasar.com has deadlines—some by 8 February. If missed, Sri Lankan pilgrims face serious problems. The Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs should act, and there is also a problem with the appointment at our Consulate General in Jeddah. I bring this to the Government’s attention.

¶ 05 Returning to day-care centres: in low-income and shanty areas, when children return from school, parents and even grandparents are often at work due to the economic situation. Children roaming in these areas face problems and pick up inappropriate language and behaviour, creating issues for parents. A pilot project should be initiated in selected slums and dense housing complexes with local authorities—using CCTV and parental phone connectivity to monitor centres. International organizations are ready to support. A legal mandate may be less effective than a service model adapted to Sri Lanka.

¶ 06 On Hajj again, registration deadlines on nusukmasar.com around early February are approaching, while our group leaders have not departed due to issues with the Consulate General in Jeddah. Please address urgently. I thank the Chair and the Hon. Member who moved the Motion.