KEMAS To Play Extraordinary Role In Promoting Knowledge, Developing Community

LAHAD DATU, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- The Community Development Department (KEMAS) will take on extraordinary roles in mainstreaming knowledge, building community potential and delivering services in an inclusive and holistic manner.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said KEMAS as a wing within the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has designed various transformative programmes for the people, especially in developing community entrepreneurship.

"We provide encouragement, assistance, loans, including supervision, to create more entrepreneurs. We want to involve youth in entrepreneurship.

"For example, at the beginning of the KEMAS activity centre in Kampung Sapagaya, there was a sewing workshop. We helped women, mothers, and youth through this workshop," he said when speaking at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa MADANI @ Lahad Datu programme here, today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that this year alone, KKDW has introduced 42 'game changers' to strengthen human capital, including reforms in the KEMAS kindergarten education system.

He said that KKDW has also formulated a strategy to empower rural education through major initiatives, including establishing KEMAS pre-tahfiz kindergartens, tahfiz TVET and digital education across rural areas, namely smart classroom@KEMAS, as well as producing young huffaz through the PeliTa@KEMAS programme.

He said that the latest programme being implemented is the Special Tunas Kindergarten @ KEMAS to provide opportunities for children with autism which will start in Melaka.

"We will also expand kindergartens like this throughout the country, our resolve is that each district will have an autism kindergarten class under KEMAS to help the parents concerned," he said.

In addition, he said more than 50 per cent of KEMAS kindergartens nationwide will be upgraded to ensure better quality early childhood education facilities.

At today's programme, Ahmad Zahid also presented equipment for Rural Entrepreneurship Strengthening Support Programme (SPKLB) as well as officiated the KEMAS kindergarten building and skills classes.

-- BERNAMA