Kemas kindergartens,� nurseries to receive RM700 mln in 2018 Budget

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kemas kindergartens and nurseries have been receiving a large allocation each year, including RM700 million in the 2018 Budget, showing the government’s continued commitment to empowering the programmes.

Rural and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob said the allocation was to finance the cost of early childhood education for children aged four to six years.

The cost include salaries, transport and subsistence allowances, communication and utilities, rentals, repairs and maintenance of buildings, the supplementary food programme and per capita grant,” he said at the official opening of Tabika Transit Kemas at Bukit Aman, here yesterday.

He said currently, there were 11,119 Tabika Kemas with some 220,000 children and 505 Taska Permata Kemas with 9,276 children across the country.

“Out of this number are 249 Tabika Kemas with 5,285 children at the police quarters, 223 at the military camps (4,343 children) and 37 at the prisons quarters (747 children), “he said.

Ismail Sabri said the ministry had also implemented the Tabika Kemas Transformation Programme in 2016 aimed at improving the children’s performance by focusing on adding value to the syllabus, providing better infrastructure and carrying out repair works.

“Through this transformation programme, the children as young as four years old are not only instilled with noble values but also encouraged to have a good personality and high level of confidence, yet courteous.”

He said Kemas ( Community Development Department) had also implemented 27 Tabika Transit projects across the country since January, this year. “Up to March, 18 transit classes were opened in town areas, six in the outskirts of towns and three in the rural areas, with a total number of 327 children,” he added.

Inspector- General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, in his speech at the event, said the tabika transit was of great benefit to working parents as they needed not worry about the safety and comfort of their children there.