KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Children’s Rights (APPGM-CR) is in the process of establishing a Children’s Council, which will allow children to act as “MPs” and voice their concerns within their respective constituencies.
Its chairman Rodziah Ismail said the move is vital as children’s voices have long been interpreted and represented by adults without fully reflecting the true perspectives of children themselves.
“We want to start this initiative from the children themselves. If we look at other countries, they even have children’s parliaments, so it’s not just about them participating in programmes, but about expressing their rights, which may have been overlooked,” she told a press conference at Parliament today.
She said the initiative is expected to begin this year, involving children from diverse backgrounds, starting with parliamentary constituencies represented by APPGM-CR members as a pilot project.
Rodziah, who is also Ampang MP, highlighted APPGM-CR’s key achievements, including the presentation of Malaysia’s children’s rights report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva on February 6.
She said the report addressed critical issues such as limited access to compulsory education, rural connectivity, the need for children’s rights education for teachers, sexual abuse, child labour and access to healthcare.
Established on October 23 last year, APPGM-CR consists of 12 MPs and senators, along with 13 representatives from non-governmental organisations.
— Bernama
