SERDANG: Kemas must take bolder, more organised, and strategic steps to ensure that early childhood education and rural community development remain relevant in this era of rapid change, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister for Rural and Regional Development, said modernising early childhood education, promoting inclusive education, improving workforce competencies, and addressing rural challenges require Kemas to adopt a more comprehensive approach and move away from outdated methods.
"Kemas cannot stay stagnant... digital transformation through initiatives like SmartClassroom@Kemas, expanding TABIKA Tunas Istimewa, and strengthening the Pra Tahfiz programme show Kemas' ability to modernise early education while preserving values, manners, and morals," he said at the launch of the Kemas Festival 2025 (FesMa '25) at MAEPS, Serdang, on Saturday (Dec 6).
During the same event, the Tabika Kemas Pra Tahfiz programme made history when the Ceremony to Celebrate the Successful Recitation of the Quran, which gathered 2,540 children, was recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) for "Largest Children Participation in Al-Quran (Juz Amma) Recital."
In a statement, Kemas also announced that its Pra Tahfiz module, introduced in 2023, is now being used by 123,435 children across 10,567 Tabika nationwide.
FesMa '25 also featured the Akademi Alpha Gen Talents@Kemas, an educational reality programme showcasing the Ikon Bitara Ilmu and Huffaz Cilik competitions, with 10 episodes airing on Bernama TV, the official broadcasting partner of the programme. – Bernama
