KUCHING: Parents who have doubt that the childcare centres (Taska) and kindergartens (Tadika) in Sarawak are operating without permits are encouraged to inform the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry.
Its minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said parents can always inform her ministry and the ministry will check on the reported premise.
“There are two agencies that manage the centres. Kindergartens are under the Education Department and nurseries are under the Welfare Department.
“So parents who are doubtful about the taska and tadika can let us know or inform the Education and Welfare departments directly,” she said in a press conference at her office, Baitul Makmur Building yesterday.
She said all taska and tadika must be registered and if not, it is against the Act 308 of the Childcare Centre Act 1984.
“Based on the data we have as of June 28 this year, there are 25 childcare centres (Taska) and kindergartens (Tadika) in Sarawak that were not approved under the Land and Survey Department requirements due to several reasons,” she said.
She said one tadika and six taska could not get their registration applications approved due to locality reasons. The premise was near a busy road, while two taska were located at a dead end road.
She said while three tadika and nine taska did not get agreement from the neighbours to set up the premises, while four taska registration applications were rejected due to incomplete information.
“As of June 30, there are 2,310 government tadika and 555 private tadika registered in Sarawak. And 91 registered government taska and 145 private taska,” she said.
Fatimah said for taska and tadika that were found to be operating without a permit, the ministry will look into their problems and a grace period would be given to the operators.
“If there are still no changes, a warning will be given followed by a stricter action,” she said.
She said parents must know that children’s safety was not guaranteed if the taska and tadika were not registered.
“Furthermore, unregistered taska and tadika will not be able to benefit from the state government’s yearly special cash assistant of RM5,000 for the taska,” she said.
