Dr Sim (centre, in yellow) flanked by Sebastian (to his left) and Tiang, with other officials and the new Sibu child councillors.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), in partnership with Sibu Rural District Council, has set up a body to give voice to children in the area.
Sibu Child Council is the second such assembly for Sarawak, and comprises 20 youths aged between 13 and 16.
Speaking at the launch event, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said this was the second child council in the state after the first set up by Kuching South City Council (MBKS).
He pointed out that in peninsular Malaysia, the only city that had such a council was Petaling Jaya in Selangor.
Dr Sim, who is also state Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, said it was important to empower children by giving them a voice in addition to discussing their rights, protection and needs.
“This initiative reflects Sarawak’s commitment to the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), which is a collaboration with Unicef Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the child council would provide a forum for members to address issues such as mental health, cyberbullying and other challenges affecting young people today.
Urging stakeholders to revisit policies to better incorporate youth voices, Dr Sim said, “We need to create spaces where their contributions shape our city.”
He noted that with the Sibu Urban Renewal plan, this was an ideal time for the contribution of ideas from young leaders who would ultimately benefit from these developments.
“These children represent the potential leaders of Sarawak, not just in politics but across fields like healthcare, education and finance,” he said, adding that some of the young councillors came from the Kapit division and Song district.
Present at the event were Sarawak Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Sebastian Ting, state Deputy Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Michael Tiang, Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng and SMC chairman Clarence Ting.
