Progress achieved, but more needed to end child labour in Sabah’s oil palm plantations

TAWAU, MALAYSIA, 12 JUNE 2025 – Progress has been made in reducing child labour in Sabah’s oil palm plantations, yet thousands of children are still at risk, facing harm and missing out on education and a better future.  On World Day Against Child Labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with support from the European Union (EU), are calling for continued, coordinated efforts to build on these gains and ensure that every child is protected, in school and free from exploitation.

“Child labour deprives children of their right to safety, education, and puts their future at risk. The World Day Against Child Labour is a reminder that we must act together to ensure that no child is left behind,” said Tom Corrie, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand. 

Child labour is deeply rooted in poverty and limited access to education, forcing families to make difficult choices that can perpetuate cycles of hardship across generations. In Malaysia, the most recent government survey in 2018 estimated 33,600 children aged 5–17 working in the oil palm industry—60 per cent of them or nearly 20,000 in Sabah. 

With support from the EU, the ILO and UNICEF are taking an integrated approach to addressing child labour in Sabah. In Tawau, over 150 children and youth have participated in vocational and life skills training to improve their employability and expand their options beyond plantation work. Meanwhile, 228 smallholders have taken part in awareness sessions that explored the challenges children face in accessing education and protection service.

To amplify voices and challenge harmful social norms, the Tuai Cerita Fellowship—run in partnership with Project Liber8, ANAK, and Global Shepherds—trained 15 content creators to tell stories that advocate for children’s rights. Additionally, a comprehensive study run together with the Social Policy Research Institute (SPRI) is underway to better understand the barriers children face in accessing essential services, including education. The findings will inform a strategic roadmap for collaboration between industry, government and civil society.

“These efforts clearly demonstrate that the Malaysian government and society do not tolerate any kind of child labour. The private sector and workers organisations also have a crucial role to play in ensuring operations and supply chains are free from child labour. There are plenty of opportunities to work more closely together in the years ahead. We must invest in families, in education and in decent work so that children are in classrooms, not plantations,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

This year marks 30 years since Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a reminder of shared responsibility to uphold every child’s right to protection, education and a life free from exploitation.

To accelerate progress, UNICEF and ILO are calling for investments in social protection, stronger child protection systems, and universal access to quality education—especially in rural and underserved areas. Promoting decent work for adults and youth, and stronger compliance are also key to ending exploitation.

Child labour is a fundamental denial of a child's right to be a child, often driven by entrenched beliefs, dire circumstances and a lack of alternatives. Through our work, we aim to inspire empathy, foster understanding, and vigorously reaffirm every child's inherent right to be heard, to be valued, and to be given the full opportunity to learn, thrive, and fulfill their potential, free from exploitation,” said Robert Gass, UNICEF Representative in Malaysia.


For further information, please contact: 

Rachel Choong

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Email: [email protected]