The Bar Council is welcomed to provide its views on how the authorities can curb the problem of truancy among school students, said Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today.

He added that like all other social problems, truancy must be addressed as well.

"For me, the important thing now is the objective, not discussing obstacles to achieve the objective. The issue is not of the law but a social problem that affects the future of our children," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

The minister was commenting on the Bar Council's objection to the move by the police to detain students who played truant.

The Bar Council's argument was that there is no legal provision allowing the police to take action against students who skipped classes.

Social obligation

However, Hishammuddin said the police were executing their social obligations rather than enforcing the law.

"If the Bar Council thinks the law is inadequate, give us suggestions. The law can be amended," he added.

On the same note, the minister said the police should be commended for taking a proactive action to tackle the problem.

"The police have openly said that they viewed it as their social obligation," he added.

Bar Council president Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari and vice-president Yeo Yang Poh could not be reached for comment.