COMMENT | Govt legally responsible for all children in Malaysia

COMMENT | We are writing this on Easter morning. Easter is a time of hope and we have been reflecting on this recent marvellous, wonderful, and just High Court ruling.

The High Court judgment by Justice Noorin Badaruddin finally acknowledges what the Child Act 2001 has been “saying” all these decades, that all children in Malaysia are protected and covered under the act and deserve our protection.

This means that all non-citizen children are protected by law in the country.

We are delighted that the government of the day has chosen not to contest this ruling but decided to withdraw its appeal. This is the only humane, just, and right thing to do and gives us an Easter gift of hope.

We also welcome the reforms to the laws protecting children in court, the recent announcement by the government to appoint an independent Children’s Commissioner, and the decision to draft a special bill to support this appointment.

This demonstrates that...