The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry supports the participation of women riders in providing motorcycle taxi services such as Dego Ride.

Its deputy minister Hannah Yeoh said this was in keeping up with the needs of the job sector which required women in various roles, irrespective of gender.

However, she added, safety must be prioritised.

"If we look at the jobs out there today, there are many which women want to take up and there are no more jobs which are less suitable for women.

"The most important thing is the need for us to ensure the safety of women riders is attended to by all parties," Yeoh said, adding her ministry was ready to engage in dialogues with relevant ministries — such as the Human Resources, and Youth and Sports ministries — if feedback and input were needed about the safety of motorcyclists.

She told reporters this after visiting a facility for the management of the deceased at Masjid Al-Hidayah Kampung Sungai Penchala, which was launched in Kuala Lumpur today by the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department senior officer, Mohd Hilmee Omar.

Yeoh, who is also Segambut MP, had announced in 2018 a contribution of RM25,000 from her parliamentary office to be used for the construction of the facility at the mosque following a request made by mosque committee members and residents.

The minister said today that government assistance should be channelled to all those in need irrespective of race or religion.

"This is the public's money returned to them for their well-being, and the time has come for us in Malaysia, not to differentiate anymore between race or religion. If there is a need, the public's money must be provided for the well-being of all," she added.

On another matter, Yeoh expressed gratitude on behalf of her ministry, the families of special needs children and the children themselves to former education minister Maszlee Malik on the zero-reject policy launched in January last year.

The project allowed the acceptance of more than 10,000 special needs children into all schools. — Bernama