Abdul Aziz (right) submitting the SeDidik document to Fatimah, witnessed by Abang Johari.
KUCHING: The state government through the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (KWKPK) has officially taken over SeDidik Sdn Bhd from Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).
The handing-over ceremony took place at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday in which SEDC was represented by its chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain and KWKPK by its minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg was present to witness the ceremony.
“SEDC has created a quality early childhood education system through SeDidik. Due to the fine work by the company, we decided to absorb its operation because the state government also wants to play a role in quality early childhood education,” said Abang Johari in his speech during the ceremony.
He added that the quality education system for pre-schoolers developed by SeDidik would be expanded to rural areas.
“Therefore, after SeDidik, we will also create an international school with an international syllabus up to the university level,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fatimah said the acquisition of SeDidik from SEDC was agreed at the State Cabinet meeting on Nov 22, 2018.
Fatimah said SeDidik will take over five kindergartens in the Tutoh Apoh area.
“All five of these kindergartens, namely in Long Leng, Long Jenalong, Long Kerangan, Long Kawa and Ba Selulong, were built through Petronas’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts,” said Fatimah.
Abdul Aziz said the decision to transfer SeDidik operations to KWKPK was one of the community-based projects approved by the State Cabinet, in line with the state government’s initiative to strengthen human capital development.
“This move is timely as SEDC is reviewing and reorganising its core business strategy,” said Aziz.
SeDidik was established in 1991 under the inspiration of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud when he was Chief Minister.
In January 2001, SeDidik was accepted and recognised as a state government social project for its contribution to the development of human capital and to date, SeDidik has opened 88 centres throughout Sarawak.
SeDidik also had the first child care centre in Malaysia to be awarded the 5S Quality Practice certification by the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC).