MPS’ free swimming lessons for children will be held at Seri Siantan Swimming Complex in Jalan Sungai Tua, Batu Caves. — Filepic
CHILDREN living in Selayang, Selangor, can now join free swimming lessons during the one-week school holidays until June 4, courtesy of Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).
The local council is providing instructors to teach basic swimming lessons and water confidence exercises to children aged between six and 12 years.
The lessons will take place at the Kompleks Renang Seri Siantan, Jalan Sungai Tua in Batu Caves.
MPS president Datuk Mohd Yazid Sairi said the free lessons were highly requested by the community.
He said there were many recreational waterfalls and rivers within Selayang, so it was crucial that children in the municipality get some basic knowledge about water safety.
“Where we can offer free services, we will. It is one of the ways for us to give back to the community.
Mohd Yazid (right) with deputy president Adi Faizal Ahmad Tarmizi during a visit to the newly upgraded Stadium MPS, which will reopen to the public on June 10.
“We decided to offer the free swimming lessons during the school holidays so that more children can take part,” he said after chairing the local council’s monthly full board meeting at Menara MPS.
The swimming complex is open from 9am to 8.30pm (after lunch time on Mondays and Fridays). Entry fee per adult is RM4 while children are charged RM2 per person.
For details on the swimming lessons, call MPS’ Public Facilities Department at 03-6188 0714.
Recently, Youth and Sports Ministry said it would hold swimming classes to instil the importance of water safety for children aged between three and 12 from B40 families.
This follows reports that between 2017 and 2021, an average of 10 children aged 14 and below died each month from drowning nationwide.
Between January and April this year alone, a total of 97 drowning deaths were reported with seven cases involving boys aged eight to 11 years until March.
On another note, Mohd Yazid said Stadium MPS would start hosting domestic football matches again.
The temporary closure, from July 2022, was to upgrade the stadium’s floodlights to meet specifications for games held at night.
The floodlights and jogging track at Stadium MPS have been upgraded.
The jogging track was opened to the public last year after the upgrading works.
The council president said the total cost of upgrading the stadium was RM10mil, which included fixing the jogging track and installing LED billboards.
“The stadium will be reopened on June 10. We hope it will be well used by the community.”
Before its temporary closure, Stadium MPS was the venue for Malaysian Football League matches while its track facilities were utilised for sporting events and used by the public.
Mohd Yazid also said that community halls to be used as polling centres were ready for the upcoming state elections.
“The three state seats of Taman Templer, Rawang and Kuang fall within Selayang municipality.
“The centres have been prepared since the general election last year,” he said, adding that MPS officers have been checking to ensure the places are ready for the elections.
