AirAsia sets up childcare centre at Sepang HQ

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah chatting with the children during her visit to AirAsia

SEPANG: AirAsia's RedQ headquarters has its own in-house childcare centre, with the launch of the Taska Krista@RedQ on Tuesday (Sept 18).

The childcare centre was launched by Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, together with AirAsia's Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

Located at the ground floor of the headquarters, the centre spans 413 sq m, and includes classrooms, a nursing lounge, sick bay, children's toilets, outdoor and indoor play areas, complete with toys.

The centre will cater for AirAsia employees' children aged from 11 months to six years old, for a minimal monthly fee, and is operated by education provider Krista Education.

Currently, the creche has about 50 children, and can care for up to 80 children.

Speaking after a tour of the facility, Dr Wan Azizah lauded the low-cost carrier for looking after its employees, as with the fast-growing economy, it was common to have both parents working.

"Malaysia needs to have at least 38,333 registered childcare centres, to cater to the number of children under four years old," she said.

Meanwhile, Fernandes said it was important that AirAsia had a childcare centre for its employees' children.

"At the end of the day, the cost is well taken care of by the productivity and ability to retain a lot of good staff who wouldn't be able to work if we didn't have this facility," the airline boss said.

He added that the aim was to create similar centres, where there was a need, in other AirAsia offices beyond Kuala Lumpur.