353 KEMAS PREMISES ACROSS EIGHT STATES DAMAGED IN FLOODS

ALOR SETAR, Dec 14 ( Bernama) -- A total of 353 Community Development Department (KEMAS) premises were damaged due to floods, which hit eight states since November, resulting in nearly RM6 million in losses.

KEMAS director-general Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Man said that the affected premises include 339 kindergarten and childcare centre (TABIKA and TASKA) buildings, 11 skill training premises, and three community service centres (PKM).

He said that Kelantan was the hardest-hit state, followed by Terengganu, Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor, and Sarawak.

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"The floods have disrupted teaching and learning sessions (PdP), impacting 7,673 children in TABIKA and TASKA, as well as 855 KEMAS staff in the affected states, especially in Kelantan, where the damage is more severe compared with other states.

“We have mobilised the Ihsan MADANI Squad across the affected states to carry out flood relief efforts, including cleaning damaged premises and residences. Our priority is to ensure that KEMAS premises can resume operations as soon as possible,” he said, after visiting the flood-affected KEMAS kindergarten in Alor Gunung today.

Mohd Hanafiah said that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), has instructed KEMAS to submit a request for funding to repair the affected premises.

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He said that KEMAS had submitted the request to the secretary-general of KKDW, Datuk Muhd Khair Razman, who has responded that, in principle, the requested funds have been approved and will be disbursed shortly.

“However, if the allocated funds fall short of the required amount, we will ensure that the premises can still be used for the children. Our top priority will be the safety and cleanliness of the facilities.

“Safety is the primary concern. We do not want children to enter buildings which are unsafe. Additionally, we are currently assessing the affected buildings to determine whether they are safe for use,” he added.

Mohd Hanafiah also emphasised that his team, in collaboration with KKDW, is committed to ensuring the continuity of the pre-Tahfiz programme, currently offered at KEMAS kindergartens, supporting students even as they move to primary schools.

He said that one of the options being considered is allowing children to attend kindergarten in the afternoon to continue their Tahfiz classes, which they have already been participating in.

"Thus far, the progress has been very encouraging, with the children involved in the programme demonstrating impressive achievements in memorising the Quran.

"Since they have already begun memorising the Quran, why not let them continue? We also plan to discuss this with the Ministry of Education, which may allow the use of classrooms in the afternoon to support the continuation of this programme," he said.

Currently, there are over 4,000 KEMAS kindergartens nationwide offering the programme, and this number is expected to more than double next year.

-- BERNAMA