(From left) Gass and Maimunah with freshly inked agreements on the two initiatives that prioritise the safety and well-being of children in city planning.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Malaysia have formalised a partnership to put children at the centre of city planning and social protection, via two key initiatives.
The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) and Asuh KL Programme reflected a shift in how Kuala Lumpur plans for its future, by prioritising children’s needs, rights and well-being, Unicef said in a media statement.
The partnership supported Malaysia’s national priorities and contributed to Sustainable Development Goals on reducing child poverty and building inclusive, child-friendly cities, it said.
The memorandum of understanding, signed during the Asean Sustainable Urbanisation Forum, marks Kuala Lumpur’s entry into the global CFCI movement and launch of Malaysia’s first pilot social assistance initiative for young children in public housing.
Together, these initiatives reflected a bold shift from designing cities around infrastructure to designing them around the needs and everyday realities of children, it added.
“As we formalise this partnership, we are laying the foundation for a future where children are at the heart of urban development and cities are shaped to be responsive to their rights, voices and dreams,” said Robert Gass, Unicef representative to Malaysia.
As part of the CFCI cycle, a city-wide analysis will be conducted to better understand the realities of all children, including those living with disabilities, in public housing or other vulnerable environments.
The findings will inform a three-year CFCI Action Plan, co-created with children to ensure meaningful youth participation in municipal decision-making.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif reaffirmed the city’s support to child participation.
“We will soon be establishing our first Child Council, in recognition of the fact that children are part of the ‘people’ pillar in our 4P (public, private, people, partnership) approach.
“They must be given the space and trust to be active contributors to their city’s future.”
The partnership builds on DBKL’s existing child-friendly actions, including free GoKL bus service for children under 12; safer school zones in collaboration with Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) and Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI); and toy libraries and play spaces in community hubs such as Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Sentul.
Complementing this effort is Asuh KL Programme, which combines monthly financial support and periodic community-based activities on nutrition for pregnant mothers and children under five living in public housing.
Launched under Budget 2025 and supported by Finance Ministry, the pilot project will provide RM150 per month to every child under five from August to December, with a possibility of extension.
“Food insecurity remains a hidden challenge for many households, and ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals must be a shared priority,” said Gass.
He was referring to Unicef’s 2024 “Living on the Edge” study, which found that one in two households in Kuala Lumpur’s low-cost housing was cutting back on food, with some children skipping meals due to financial hardship.
Asuh KL Programme would be closely monitored and evaluated to understand how integrated social protection helped children thrive, the statement said.
This will provide the evidence needed to potentially expand the initiative.
