KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: More than 80% of calls made to Talian Nur, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's help line, have been prank calls.

Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said the majority of these calls were made by children.

"Our surveys show that these children were bored and were attracted by the Talian Nur hotline number 15999 advertisement on television," she said.

She added that prank calls increased during weekends and especially during school holidays.

Dr Ng said the prank calls were a huge stress on both the ministry and the Social Welfare Department, which operates the hotline to offer assistance to the poor and needy.

However, there is no plan to terminate the hotline, she said.

"The hotline will not be terminated as it is very beneficial to the public," she said during a press conference yesterday after officiating at the National Population Conference: Youth and the Changing Demographics at Menara Matrade here.

The two-day conference will see prominent speakers from around Asia touching on topics such as youth challenges in social development, youth sexuality and public policy on young people.

Dr Ng said the ministry was similarly looking at building up the capacity of young fathers and their responsibilities to the family.

A special task force would be set up to work on the "father module", added Dr Ng.

"Under this module, we are looking at opening up more opportunities for young fathers to come forward with their problems, as men are by nature more apprehensive when it comes to opening up.

"This is in addition to supporting them to take up responsibilities that are traditionally linked to women, such as taking care of their children," she said.