KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM4.3mil has been allocated this year for the maintenance and repair of 115 Community Development Department (Kemas) preschools and nurseries in Sarawak, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Monday (Oct 13).
Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Rubiah Wang, said that 20 new projects for the construction of Kemas preschools and nurseries have also been approved in the state, spanning various stages of implementation under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
She said that, according to data from the National Preschool Information System, Sarawak currently has 1,010 Kemas preschool and nursery premises, of which 189 operate from shared or borrowed spaces.
"To address this issue, a proposal concerning the gazettement of these shared premises was presented during the Coordination Meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Rural and Regional Development with State Rural Excos (Mexclub) on June 26," she said during Question Time.
Rubiah said this in reply to Mohamad Shafizan Kepli (GPS-Batang Lupar), who had wanted to know about the government's efforts to upgrade or build new Kemas preschool classes, especially those still operating in dilapidated or borrowed buildings in Sarawak.
Elaborating, the deputy minister said that the meeting agreed that the Sarawak government should begin the process of gazetting or formalising the use of the affected premises, whether land or buildings, under the name of the Community Human Capital Development Programme.
"This process is crucial to enable maintenance and upgrading works to be carried out, ensuring a safer and more comfortable learning environment for both children and educators," she added. – Bernama
