PUTRAJAYA: The prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has proposed that children be given free food and admission to cinemas in conjunction with the World Children's Day each year.

He said operators of restaurants and cinemas should carry out their social responsibility to fete the children who would inherit the nation in future.

"When we celebrated Children's Day in the past, we not only assembled at the stadium, we could also enter any restaurant or cinema free of charge. I'm puzzled why this is no longer in practice.

"So, I hope the government can consider this matter for discussion with operators of restaurants and cinemas so that children can watch movies and eat at restaurants free of charge on Children's Day.

"I too can sit in the committee to appeal to restaurant and cinema operators to fete the children on this special day so that they can feel proud and loved by the community," she said at the National-Level World Children's Day 2012 celebration, here today.

Also present at the celebration, which carried the theme "Children's Charisma: Show Your Potentials", were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Heng Seai Kie, ministri secretary-general Datuk Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur and Putrajaya Corporation president Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat.

"Children today are different from the past generation. If we were surrounded by the Generation X at one time, now the Generation Y has taken over, soon there may appear a Generation Z that will chart the future of our country," Rosmah said.

Based on the statistics last year, she said the number of children below the age of 18 in the country had reached 9.8 million or one-third of the population of Malaysia.

Rosmah also advised parents not to allow their children to interact merely through the iPad, Facebook, Twitter and Skype without feeling the warmth and love of their parents.

- Bernama