Former deputy women, family and community development minister Hannah Yeoh has called on newly sworn-in Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to establish a ministry specifically for children.

"Ismail Sabri needs to prioritise the wellbeing of children. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia 2020, the population of children is about 30 percent in most states, with the Federal Territory coming top at 38.5 percent.

"This is a sizable group and they are indeed our future and our greatest asset, and the Covid-18 pandemic has exposed and amplified the weaknesses of our country’s system to adequately protect...