Fatimah: Ministry to work with DBKU to implement child-friendly initiative, address aging society issues

KUCHING (Jan 22): The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Ministry will work with Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to implement Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) and address issues related to an aging society.

Its Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) is one of the strategic partners for CFCI and a study will be conducted in collaboration with the higher learning institutions on the initiative this year.

“We want to make sure that Kuching is a child-friendly and age-friendly city as we will be an aging society by 2028 and the local councils play an important role in this matter,” she told reporters when leading a delegation to pay a courtesy visit  on the newly-appointed Kuching North Datuk Bandar Hilmy Othman at the DBKU headquarters here today.

Aside from DBKU, Fatimah pointed out Kuching South City Council, Padawan Municipal Council, Sibu Municipal Council and Miri City Council have been selected to be a part of the child-friendly city project.

Fatimah also hoped that more childcare centres will be set up at workplace for the convenience of working parents.

“We want to see many more childcare centres to be set up at workplace and we will how DBKU can help to provide a support system to working parents,” she said, adding more companies from the private sector should play their part in providing such service to their employees.

As for an age-friendly society, she said proper planning must be put in place for public areas to be equipped with facilities to accommodate the needs of an aging society, such as the availability of public sitting areas.

On a separate matter, Fatimah commended the efforts by various non-governmental organisations for promoting early detection and prevention measures of cervical cancer.

She was commenting on a recent statement by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri that Sarawak is the leader among the states in the country in terms of the number of women who underwent the human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid (HPV DNA) tests between 2019 and 2023 at 23,744.

Among those present were Fatimah’s deputy ministers Datuk Rosey Yunus and Datuk Mohamad Razi Sitam and Deputy Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.