Our children continue to show us the way

KUALA LUMPUR: Eight-year-old Muhammad Danish Rayqal Mohd Firdaus showed extraordinary courage when he risked his life to save his siblings who were trapped in a fire on June 29. He received the Hang Tuah Medal for bravery.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail presented the award to Muhammad Danish Rayqal at the 2022 National Children’s Day celebration organised by the Social Welfare Department on Nov 27.

Braveheart: Dr Wan Azizah with Muhammad Danish at the event.

The medal is awarded in recognition of children who showed outstanding acts of bravery, such as saving lives or property during an emergency, disaster or accident.

Despite losing his spectacles during the fire, the Year Two pupil from SK Taman Kampung Melayu Kluang, Johor, was determined to save his two siblings – Muhamad Darish Rizqe, six, and Nurdiya Delisha, four – by carrying them on his back from the living room to the kitchen before calling out for help. All three were then rescued by neighbours.

During the blaze which broke out at their home in Jalan Mohd Salim Kampung Melayu, Kluang, both parents were at work.

Social media was abuzz with news of the young boy’s heroic act, with praises from Malaysians who also hailed the creation of the award for children.

According to Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Sharuddin Abu Sohot, the Hang Tuah Medal is awarded in recognition of children who are regarded as gems of the nation for their outstanding bravery.

“There were some who thought this award had somewhat disappeared ... but in actual fact, 23 children have so far received this award since its inception in the 1960s, including Muhammad Danish Rayqal,” he told Bernama during an interview in conjunction with the 2022 National Children’s Day celebration at the department’s headquarters in Putrajaya recently.

The Hang Tuah Medal Award is among the events on the itinerary of this year’s Children’s Day celebration themed “Inclusion and Diversity for Every Child”.

Besides the Hang Tuah Medal Award, the department has also introduced the Most Active Children Activity Centre (PAKK) Award in 2022 in recognition of PAKK’s role in providing support services to children.

According to Shaharuddin, PAKK’s function is to conduct activities or programmes and support services that are geared toward prevention, protection, development and participation of children, with the official launch of the 2022 National Children’s Day as the highlight.

On Dr Wan Azizah’s call at the launch of the 2022 Children’s Day celebration that the event be used as an effective starting point to acknowledge, promote and celebrate children’s rights, Shaharuddin said his department recognises the importance of embracing inclusion and diversity for children in Malaysia for their current and future well-being.

He said the term ‘inclusion’ in the theme of the 2022 Children’s Day celebration means respecting and appreciating what makes people from various backgrounds different.