Unicef representative to Malaysia, Marianne Clark-Hattingh, also said other groups of children continue to face abuse and neglect, with many bullied “just because they are perceived as being different”.
“These are children who live in poverty, obliging them to leave school after Standard Six, seek work or in some cases get married.
“Children deserve the best, and we need to do better for all children. It’s a collective responsibility,” she told a luncheon with the media organised by Unicef Malaysia today to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989, a global treaty which Malaysia is a part of.
But Clark-Hattingh lauded Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for signing the UN convention in the 1990s, adding that there have been efforts to help these children since.
“In 30 years, Malaysia has increased child survival and reduced child mortality by half… an astounding achievement made in just over a generation,” she said.
She said Unicef would be calling for a “re-commitment” to the CRC during the UN General Assembly this year.
“Throughout the year, Unicef and its partners will engage with children and youth in Malaysia to ensure their voices are heard and empower them to become agents of change for themselves,” she added.
Stateless children here refers to those born in Malaysia but lack any citizenship.
Activists say thousands of stateless children in Sabah and Sarawak have been living in limbo due to laws requiring at least one of the parents to be a citizen before they can be made a citizen or permanent resident.
Rights groups have also highlighted the plight of stateless children who cannot attend school and are denied access to healthcare.
Since January, the government has allowed these children to enrol in public schools if they can produce their birth certificates, adoption papers or court orders.
At the event today, television personality Lisa Surihani, who is also Unicef’s Malaysian ambassador, said stateless children should not be deprived of their right to education, healthcare and identity.
“They may be adopted… or even abandoned. And whatever it is, it is never the child’s fault.
“We brush off ‘children’s issues’ as an afterthought or a ‘soft issue’. It goes back to the society we want tomorrow. Children are our future. And we want a future that is inclusive, that is kind, that cares, and where every child can reach their full potential,” she said.