CHILDREN aged seven and above in Putrajaya can sign up for language classes under an initiative by Putrajaya Corporation (PPj).
Classes will be held on weekends from April 11 to June 14, as well as from July 11 to Sept 6.
Four languages are on offer – English, Mandarin, Arabic and Korean.
There is a RM20 fee to ensure attendance. The initiative, which costs RM40,000, is sponsored by Carsome Sdn Bhd.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the programme was introduced in 2010 and had benefitted more than 570 residents in the administrative capital.
She said its continuation was intended to provide children with a beneficial way to spend their free time.
“Many children these days are preoccupied with digital devices,” said Yeoh.
“Picking up a new language is a better use of their time and will also improve their competitiveness in the future.”
She said PPj would consider expanding the programme to accommodate more students if there was demand, as well as introducing Tamil as the fifth language.
She added that the local authority was also working with Education Ministry to issue certificates to students who completed the programme.
Thanking Carsome for the sponsorship, Yeoh called on more companies to collaborate with government agencies on education initiatives.
The event, held at a Carsome showroom in Precinct 1, Putrajaya, was attended by PPj president Datuk Mohd Sakeri Abdul Kadir and deputy president (Urban Services Department) Nik Shukri Nik Soh.
Also present were Carsome Group chief executive officer Eric Cheng and co-founder Teoh Jiun Ee, who is also Carsome Academy CEO.
In his speech, Cheng said the sponsorship reflected Carsome’s broader commitment to education and community development.
“Initiatives such as this are one way we can play a role beyond our core business as an e-commerce platform for cars,” he said.
At the event, 100 fuel cards worth RM50 each were distributed to recipients from B40 households as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative.
