Malaysia- 1st- Children’s rights

By Daniel Morris | 13. January 2026

THEMATIC PRIORITY 1: GOVERNANCE

UNGP PILLAR 1

FOUNDATIONAL

No.: G1.2

Action: Conduct an assessment on removing the reservations to CEDAW, CRC and CRPD.

Output Indicator(s): Evidence, insights and recommendations are developed on the effects and potential outcomes of removing the existing reservations to the conventions, which include an examination of constitutional gaps as well as the social norms that underpin related laws.

Collaborative Partner(s): Chief Government Security Officer Minister’s Department (CGSO); BHEUU, JPM; Criminal Law Reform Committee (CLRC)

No.: G1.3

Action: Review the legal and constitutional gaps related to the Child Act 2001 [Act 611] and the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 [Act 685] in alignment with the CRC  and  the  CRPD, especially  on  protection against discrimination, right to  education  and  birth registration.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Evidence, insights and recommendations are developed to guide further alignment with international standards and best practices.
  • Policymaking is guided by an improved understanding of the constitutional gaps as well as the social norms that underpin these laws.

Collaborative Partner(s): KPWKM

ANTI-BRIBERY AND-CORRUPTION

No.: G1.15

Action: Introduce data management CGSO and treatment guidelines for Government agencies.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Introduction of a Data Leakage Protection System, which includes data management and treatment guidelines.
  • These tools demonstrate the prevention of data leakages and reinforce privacy measures for data related to children, young people and other marginalised communities.

Collaborative Partner(s): CGSO

No.: G1.17

Action: Review and strengthen the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 [Act 588] and Online Safety Act 2025.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Evidence, insights and recommendations are developed related to children’s digital rights and online protection.
  • Laws are strengthened by modernising the crime of child sexual exploitation and abuse, reinforcing corporate accountability for mitigating online risks and embedding safety by design.

Collaborative Partner(s): Ministry of Communications

No.: G1.18

Action: Review and strengthen the Consumer Protection Act 1999 [Act 599]..

Output Indicator(s):

  • Evidence, insights and recommendations are developed to bring the law up to date in the context of the right to safe goods (especially for children and young consumers), accessibility to product or service information and the right to seek redress in unfair commercial practices.

Collaborative Partner(s): Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living

PROCUREMENT, INVESTMENT AND TAX

No.: G1.20

Action: Establish clear regulations governing public procurement activities.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Enactment of a Government Procurement Act that applies to all public procurement processes.
  • Laws are clarified on the protection of human, labour, children’s, and environmental rights throughout procurement processes.

Collaborative Partner(s): Ministry of Housing and Local Government; Local authorities (PBT)

UNGP PILLAR 2

No.: G2.1

Action: Adopt robust human, labour, children’s, and environmental rights policies aligned to international standards with transparent and effective budgets for implementation throughout the company’s entire supply chain.

No.: G2.2

Action: Conduct regular, transparent and genuine HREDD assessments on own operations and across the supply chain to ensure that the company does not cause or contribute to, and is not linked to, adverse impacts on human, labour and children’s rights.

UNGP PILLAR 2

No.: G2.6

Action: Embed and implement due diligence as it pertains to children’s rights.

UNGP PILLAR 3

No.: G3.3

Action: Increase the availability of mobile courts as an additional mechanism to oversee legal disputes for communities living in the interior.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Evidence, insights and recommendations are developed to support the establishment of additional mobile courts.
  • Information on accessing mobiles courts is disseminated among at-risk communities, ensuring the active participation of women, children and young people, older persons, persons with disabilities and Indigenous Peoples in the legal process.

Collaborative Partner(s): BHEUU

THEMATIC PRIORITY 2: LABOUR

UNGP PILLAR 1

FORCED LABOUR, CHILD LABOUR, AND OTHER FORMS OF LABOUR EXPLOITATION

No.: L1.5.

Action: Enhance the enforcement of all relevant provisions on forced labour, child labour and other forms of labour exploitation based on the ILO Indicators of Forced Labour.

Output indicator(s):

  • Number of trained labour inspectors increased, especially in sectors employing migrant workers and other groups vulnerable to forced labour and child labour.
  • Revisions to labour rights protection frameworks are proposed that consider the challenges of enforcement related to domestic work.
  • List of blacklisted agencies is updated and published frequently

Collaborative partner(s): KESUMA

No.: L1.9.

Action: Facilitate documentation for children of migrant workers whether through facilitating safe access to birth registration processes or a joint documentation exercise with the relevant diplomatic missions for undocumented children.

Output indicator(s):

  • Policies or procedures are adopted that enable safe and non-discriminatory access to documentation services for migrant children.
  • Number of migrant families assisted in safely accessing national birth registration services for their children.

Collaborative partner(s): MOHA; National Registration Department

UNGP PILLAR 2

No.: L2.8

Action: Take proactive steps to prohibit and prevent child labour, particularly for companies operating in high-risk industries.

UNGP PILLAR 3

No.: L3.3

Action: Enhance the capacity of State grievance-handlers to effectively mediate and address grievances received from workers, including migrant workers and young workers and children.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Increased number of effective trainings at the state level on mediating and addressing worker grievances, with clear learning outcomes.

Collaborative Partner(s): KESUMA; State authorities

No.: L3.11

Action: Launch nationwide worker socialisation and engagement programmes that aim at building worker confidence and trust and encourage the use of non- State and non-judicial grievance mechanisms.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Engagement programmes are organised across Malaysia, starting with high-risk sectors.
  • Engagement programmes have considered specific invisible barriers faced by women, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, young workers and children and other vulnerable communities including language, norms, cultural traditions, and social or gender-linked vulnerabilities.

Collaborative Partner(s): KESUMA; State agencies; businesses; IGOs

No.: L3.12

Action : I La Increase social support and interventions for vulnerable migrant and refugee workers, including young workers and children, experiencing domestic violence and labour exploitation.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Access to social support in the form of counselling, legal aid and shelter is increased among migrant and refugee workers, as well as young workers and children.

Collaborative Partner(s): KESUMA; State agencies; businesses; IGOs; labour and children’s rights advocates

THEMATIC PRIORITY 3: ENVIRONMENT

UNGP PILLLAR 1

FOUNDATIONAL

No.: E1.4

Action: Develop child-sensitive, gender-responsive and disability-inclusive measures to advance the human rights of children to a healthy environment.

Output Indicator(s):

  • Policies and programmes are developed or enhanced to integrate child-sensitive, gender-responsive, and disability inclusive environmental protections.

Collaborative Partner(s): KPWKM; NRES