As we observe World Children’s Day on November 20, 2025, with the powerful theme “My Day, My Rights”, we reflect on the obligation we bear to the next generation.
These rights, the right to health, education, protection, and participation, are not privileges to be granted, but entitlements that define our humanity and measure the maturity of our democracy.
It was in this spirit of commitment that I was honoured to receive the Kinabalu Declaration on Safeguarding Children Through Ethical and Inclusive Action from the Malaysian Paediatric Association during their 46th Annual Congress in Penang on October 9, 2025.
This Declaration acknowledges the reality that the promise of a child’s future is currently denied to too many, especially those on the margins of our society. In amplifying this declaration on this day, I wish to focus our conscience on the most critical areas where policy must meet our moral compass.
Our commitment to equity must extend to every child on Malaysian soil, regardless of nationality. We must implement concerted strategies to eliminate childhood statelessness and fully uphold the Zero Reject Policy in education and health care. This is a human rights imperative that transcends all political differences.
My work with vulnerable communities has also repeatedly shown that trauma and intergenerational poverty are inextricably linked. We must view children’s psychosocial health as a basic right.
I urge the prioritisation of accessible psychosocial health services, particularly within our schools and communities, and the training of our frontliners in compassionate trauma-informed care.
This means equipping our educators, health workers, and society leaders to recognise the deep, often invisible wounds of childhood. We must empower families, particularly single-mother households, with the support they need to break cycles of deprivation.
On this World Children’s Day, let us, the adults, reaffirm our personal and professional pledge. Let the spirit of reform and inclusion drive us to create a compassionate country where every single child is seen, heard, and protected.
The future of Malaysia is not just for our children. It rests with them. We must ensure they inherit a nation where their rights are absolute, their potential is limitless, and their childhood is safeguarded.
Wishing all children a day filled with joy, and a future secure in their rights.
Nurul Izzah Anwar is patron of the Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
