SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE CIRCLE OF CARE CONFERENCE 2026, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026

Chairperson and Members of the Board
Distinguished guests and speakers
Ladies and gentlemen 

1.             Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you here today at Babes’ inaugural Circle of Care Conference.

2.             For more than two decades, Babes has journeyed alongside pregnant youths, young parents and their families. Through this work, Babes has developed deep understanding of the challenges they face and the support they need. At the heart of this work is Babes' mission: to support and empower pregnant teens to make informed and confident choices for themselves and their babies.

3.             As Patron of Babes – a new role that I have taken on and something that I am absolutely thrilled about, I am very pleased to support Babes’ efforts to advance the mission through today’s conference and would like to commend Babes for bringing together partners from social service, healthcare and education sectors, community partners and individuals with lived experience to meet, share and learn from one another. I am heartened to see such a strong gathering of individuals committed to supporting youths at risk and young families.

4.             Beyond sharing knowledge, today’s conference creates an opportunity to strengthen relationships and foster closer collaboration across sectors, so that we can better support young people and their families.

5.             The conference’s theme, “Empowering Voices, Shaping Futures”, highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration in ensuring that vulnerable youths and young families receive appropriate and coordinated support at each stage of their journey.