MUKAH: The Dalat and Mukah District Council (MDDM) has partnered with UNICEF Malaysia to launch the Child-Friendly Communities Initiative, Malaysia’s first rural adaptation of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI).
The partnership was formalised via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by MDDM Chairman, Cr. Aini Suhaili, and UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, Robert Gass, today.
Under the MoU, MDDM and UNICEF will gather local data and conduct direct consultations with children and rural communities to identify priority needs, develop a tailored action plan, implement targeted measures, and monitor progress.
Gass highlighted that the initiative adapts child-friendly local governance to geographically dispersed areas where distance and transport impact service accessibility and participation.
“This signing marks a significant milestone because childhood is not defined by geography.
“Children grow up in cities, towns, villages, longhouses and coastal communities. Their surroundings may differ, but their rights remain the same,” Gass said in a statement.
He added that every child deserves a safe, inclusive environment where their voices are heard and their full potential can be reached.
The pilot project builds upon Sarawak’s ongoing CFCI cohort, which sees seven local authorities currently recognised as Candidate Cities after committing to three-year action plans.
During preliminary consultations, children identified vaping as a key concern due to peer pressure, high exposure and easy access.
The matter has since been escalated to the Sarawak CFCI Working Committee, co-chaired by the Ministry of Public Health Housing and Local Government, alongside the Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development.
A stakeholder consultation involving child council members is scheduled for September.
UNICEF will document effective strategies from this rural model to assist Sarawak in expanding child-friendly governance to other district councils across the state.
