Mohamad Zahri (second row, fourth left), Anfaal (on his left), and Gass (behind Anfaal, in blue shirt) along with Petaling Jaya’s child councillors. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
Unicef: MBPJ’s approach sets example for other councils
PETALING Jaya’s steady progress in empowering young voices has made it one of Malaysia’s leading examples of a child-friendly city.
United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Malaysia representative Robert Gass said the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) efforts to strengthen youth participation through its Child City Councillor programme has produced visible results and valuable lessons.
“Petaling Jaya has really made progress, with many lessons learnt in the process, especially on the child councillor front,” he said during the Petaling Jaya International Child-Friendly City Expo 2025.
“The city has experimented with different membership criteria and continuously improved on diversity and inclusion.
“There are now dedicated quotas ensuring children from various backgrounds are represented.”
Gass said MBPJ’s model could guide other councils nationwide, but noted that more work was needed to strengthen adult engagement and local-level data collection.
“There is still room for improvement. While some local champions truly believe in child participation, others have yet to fully embrace it.
“We are launching a toolkit to support meaningful participation and upskilling council staff when engaging with children.”
Gass added that enhanced participation has led to tangible improvements such as child-friendly bus stops as well as schools adopting traffic-calming and air-quality monitoring initiatives.
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said MBPJ would begin recruiting its fifth batch of child city councillors, aged nine to 17.
“We will begin the search this month and letters will be sent to schools in Petaling Jaya.
“Teachers will recommend candidates and a third-party panel will shortlist them based on specific criteria,” he said.
The two-year term will comprise 30 seats and incorporate cultural diversity, Orang Asli children and persons with disabilities.
“They will be part of discussions and decision-making. If their proposals fit our budget, we will try to realise them,” said Mohamad Zahri.
Selangor women empowerment and welfare committee chairman Anfaal Saari, who officiated the expo, said the state’s rapid urbanisation made inclusive and safe city design a priority.
“More than half of the world’s children now live in urban areas. In Selangor, that number exceeds 90%.
“Urban design, governance and maintenance have a direct impact on children’s well-being, opportunities and future.”
The event by MBPJ in collaboration with Unicef Malaysia, brought together city leaders, architects, planners, industry players and community representatives to advance the child-friendly city agenda at both the local and regional level.
