Deputy Premier: Distance, income must not define a child’s start in life

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 25: No child in Sarawak should be disadvantaged in their early development because of where they live, how much their family earns or how far they are from urban centres, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said, stressing that equity must remain at the heart of the State’s approach to early childhood education and development.

He said Sarawak’s vast geographical landscape and diverse communities should never determine the quality of opportunities available to young children during their formative years.

“Where a child lives, the income of his or her family, or the distance from our urban centres must never determine the quality of that child’s beginning in life.

“Different communities may require different approaches, but our aspirations for every Sarawakian child must remain equally high,” he said in his speech text when officiating the launch of Sarawak Preschool International Convention 2026 here today.

Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, said preparing children for a future shaped by technology, innovation and rapid change was another key principle guiding Sarawak’s early childhood development agenda.

However, he stressed that future readiness should not be equated with introducing formal academic learning at an earlier age or increasing children’s exposure to screens.

“Rather, it means nurturing qualities that will remain important in every generation, including curiosity, creativity, communication, self-discipline, cooperation, resilience and strong values.

“Technology will change, but these human qualities will remain essential,” he said.

Awang Tengah also highlighted Sarawak’s rich cultural and linguistic diversity as one of the state’s greatest strengths, saying children should grow up with a strong understanding of their identity and heritage while learning to respect the cultures and identities of others.

“At the same time, they must have the confidence to participate in Malaysia and the wider world. We should aspire to international standards while remaining firmly rooted in Sarawak,” he said.

He added that achieving these goals would require stronger collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, communities and the private sector.

“We must therefore strengthen coordination among the government, institutions, communities and the private sector, with one common objective of achieving better outcomes for our children,” he added.

Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah and Deputy Minister of Women and Childhood Development Datuk Rosey Yunus were among the distinguished guests present. — DayakDaily

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