Nancy presents toys to children present at the event. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (Feb 10): The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has identified 1,080 childcare centres nationwide that are operating without proper registration.
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said action would be taken against these centres, emphasising that enforcement was part of her ministry’s efforts to ensure safety at these facilities and their compliance with the rules and regulations.
“If the childcare centres have already submitted their applications and are still in the processing stage and pending approval, but have started operating, we will know about it.
“If they’re operating (without any proper registration), we would take action. This is part of our administration,” said the Santubong MP when met by reporters after presentation of registration plaques to childcare centres at Dewan Wisma Kebajikan at the Sarawak Welfare Department (JKM) headquarters here today.
She added that as at Jan 31 this year, Sarawak had 142 registered childcare centres: 65 in Kuching, 22 in Samarahan, 13 in Miri, and 42 across other divisions.
“Of the total, 103 are institutional childcare centres, 14 are workplace childcare centres, four are community childcare centres, and 21 are home-based childcare centres.
“However, there are still 95 unregistered childcare centres in Sarawak,” said Nancy, noting that some of them might still be in the application process. As of today, 20 childcare centres in Sarawak have successfully received their registration certificates, where some of them are presented with the plaques today.
“Meanwhile, 16 childcare centres in Sarawak have ceased operations, possibly due to insufficient resources or failure to meet the requirements set by local authorities. Additionally, 59 centres have been issued warning notices and are awaiting further action,” she said.
Nancy also pointed out that surprise visits to childcare centres would be conducted without prior notice, as part of the scheduled enforcement process.
As for the childcare centres that had ceased operation, she emphasised that they could always submit new applications as long as they complied with the set requirements.
“Sarawak has additional requirements, as compared to those set for other states, because land surveys are also involved.
“Land regulations here are different from other states, which makes the process unique to Sarawak.”
Nancy added that if the approval of an application were to be solely up to the ministry, it would not take long, but the process would usually involve multiple steps.
“If they intend to operate, they must also apply for approval from the local authority, which at times requires our recommendation.
“Our recommendation is based on specific criteria, but the final approval also depends on inspections by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and the local authorities. They will assess whether a centre complies with the safety regulations before granting the approval.”
Meanwhile in her speech earlier, Nancy emphasised that the registration plaque must be displayed on a clearly visible part of the centre.
She said this allows parents and the community to easily identify registered childcare centres.
“The public is also encouraged to check the JKM website, www.jkm.gov.my, to verify the registration status of their chosen childcare centres.
“Parental awareness in selecting registered childcare centres is crucial in efforts to improve the quality of childcare services in Malaysia,” she stressed.