By Zareef Muzammil
PETALING, Oct 14 — The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has recognised the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) as the country’s first child-friendly city.
Petaling Jaya (PJ) Mayor Datuk Mohammad Azhan Md Amir said MBPJ’s commitment to engaging children in all of PJ’s development plans since 2019 earned them the recognition.
“We love children, and we provide a platform for them to share their views on development planning in Petaling Jaya. Unicef considers this matter because we give them equal rights.
“Later in 2019, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Since then, there have been many activities carried out to meet Unicef’s criteria,” he said at the award ceremony yesterday.
The announcement was made by Unicef’s representative in Malaysia, Robert Gass, at the Royale Chulan Hotel in Damansara.
Also in attendance was the state executive councillor for Islamic affairs and innovation Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah.
On his part, Fahmi, also the Seri Setia state assemblyman, said MBPJ’s success aligns with Seri Setia’s aspiration to create a child safety zone.
He also hopes MBPJ’s success will inspire other local authorities in Selangor to involve children in the development process.
Meanwhile, Gass expressed his gratitude for MBPJ’s collaboration with Unicef to uphold children’s rights.
Among the initiatives carried out by MBPJ to meet Unicef’s criteria include the establishment of the Petaling Jaya Children’s Council Members, the implementation of the Situation Analysis study: Child Well-Being for the Child-Friendly City Initiative (CFCI) in Petaling Jaya, and preparing for the Petaling Jaya Child-Friendly City Action Plan.
