By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 9: Sarawak’s leadership in prioritising child welfare, community resilience, and inclusive development has been praised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to a report by TVS, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Malaysia, Sanja Saranovic, said the State government’s commitment, including the active role of city and municipal councils in creating child-friendly towns, places Sarawak in a strong position to serve as a model for other governments.
“Sarawak is well-placed to show that local governments can implement children’s rights effectively and provide tangible, concrete outcomes. In the coming years, I hope to return to recognise all seven towns and municipal councils in Sarawak for achieving child-friendly city status,” she said during the Child-Friendly City Initiative (CFCI) Recognition Ceremony 2026 here on Sunday (Feb 8).
Saranovic also encouraged members of Sarawak’s Child Councils to continue speaking up about their experiences and perspectives to help shape more inclusive urban planning.
She stressed that the voices of children are essential to ensure policies and urban development genuinely meet the needs of future generations.
Echoing this, Deputy Secretary of the Sibu Child Council, Vivynhesy Frankie Jawan, said children and youth offer mature and relevant perspectives, particularly for planning CFCI in Sibu.
“From the bottom of my heart, I hope Sibu can become a child-friendly city. Very few cities in Malaysia prioritise children to this extent. I hope the State government can expand the CFCI programme so children in Sarawak feel more confident and empowered to voice their opinions, regardless of their background,” he said.
Meanwhile, Awang Muhhamad Altaf, Treasurer of the Bintulu Child Council, highlighted the importance of considering children’s social needs in CFCI development, including providing more recreational spaces to support healthy growth.
“I hope children can socialise and build relationships instead of staying indoors doing nothing. CFCI development is important, but it must also address issues like flooding to ensure children’s safety,” he said.
Tham Yin Yee, Social Policy Specialist at UNICEF Malaysia, praised Sarawak for targeting a large cohort in its CFCI implementation and noted that strong State support for the seven local authorities nominated as candidate cities sets Sarawak apart from other states.
“One thing we emphasise is involving children’s voices. When the Sarawak Government develops any policy, we consider who is affected. We hold special consultation sessions to hear the views of both the public and children,” she said.
Seven cities and towns in Sarawak, including Kuching North and South, Bintulu, Miri, Padawan, Sibu, and Kota Samarahan, have been recognised as candidates under UNICEF’s CFCI programme.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the recognition reflects the State’s commitment to child-centred urban development and follows the successful implementation of action plans supported by more than RM58 million in funding. — DayakDaily
