After almost 35 years, we have still failed to realise the meaning and aspirations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Those were the words of consultant paediatrician and child-disability activist Datuk Dr Amar Singh HSS ahead of World Children’s Day tomorrow.
“This Children’s Day, and every day of the year, my heart breaks for every child who is not able to go to school or drops out of school, who is still living in poverty or goes to school hungry, who is denied an identity or a home, who is abused by the very systems developed to protect children, who is denied her/his basic rights,” said Dr Amar.
“The reality is that most children in Malaysia are not even aware of their rights, let alone experience them fully.”
He added a study entitled Are Malaysian Children Aware of Their Rights? was carried out among Malaysian children aged 7 to 17 years, and the overall awareness of children’s rights was low (below 50 per cent) among both children and their parents, regardless of age group and socio-demographic status.
“It is not just children (and parents) who are unaware of their basic rights; some government agencies and even politicians seem unaware of them. After almost 35 years, we have still failed to realise the meaning and aspirations of the UNCRC in Malaysia.”
He said the basic rights of all children are enshrined in the UNCRC.
“These are not some foreign ideals or concepts but the basic rights we would expect for any and every person, found in all cultures, major religions, and any humane society.
“In a nutshell, the rights cover protection, provision, and participation. It recognises that all children are equal, that all children have the same rights, regardless of their race, sex, language, religion, disability, social status, or other factors.”
“As our Child Act 2001 states: ‘Recognising every child is entitled to protection and assistance in all circumstances without regard to distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, social origin or physical, mental or emotional disabilities or any other status.”
He added the moment the system or a politician values one child more than another, “we have degraded child rights, lost part of our humanity as a nation and have a diminished understanding of God’s love for all children”.
“There are no minorities, no stateless, no VIPs’ children. All are valued and have equal rights, and should be accorded these rights,” Dr Amar said.
“The voices of children are not heard in our country. Children in our nation cry out for their pressing needs and struggles, but this is not translated into sustainable, concerted action. We do have a National Children’s Representative Council, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s Children’s Consultative Council, and a number of Child Councils set up in cities with the aid of UNICEF. But their voices are limited and not taken seriously.”
“I conducted one anonymous assessment of parents, predominantly educated and middle or upper-middle-class professionals, as to their implementation of child rights pertaining to listening to children i.e. Articles 12, 13, and 14 of the UNCRC. While 93 per cent responded affirmatively to enabling their child and other children to express their thoughts and opinions (Article 13 on freedom of expression), only 75 per cent said they listened to the views of their child and other children and took them seriously (Article 12 on respect for the views of the child), and only 73 per cent believed that their child and every child has the right to think and believe what they choose (Article 14 on freedom of thought, belief, and religion).
“These honest responses do not bode well for us as a nation. I wonder what we would find if we did such an assessment among our elected representatives?”
Dr Amar said it is time, as a nation, that Malaysians fulfil their full responsibility and give all children in the country their basic rights. This, he said, means creating routine, sustainable avenues for children to express their opinions and concerns, and for these to be heard and acted on by the government.
“It means removing all our reservations to the UNCRC and ensuring that all laws relating to children are in line with the UNCRC. Ensuring the rights of all children includes the provision of universal health, education, and social (protection) services for all, regardless of status.
“Finally, children and families require the government and society to create safe and healthy environments, mitigating the climate emergency.”
He added that a government and society that do not listen to their children do not cherish them.
“It is in fulfilling these responsibilities and rights that the government and society can create an environment where all children can thrive and reach their full potential. We need a compassionate and inclusive government that treasures all children and leaves none behind,” he added.
