KUCHING: The Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development is mulling over simplifying the registration of daycare centres and kindergartens through the usage of only one form.
Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah believes that through such simplification, operators would not have to fill out different types of forms with various authorities in terms of registering new daycare centres and kindergartens.
Fatimah speaks to reporters at her office. On her right is Assistant Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
“We are working on a way to come up with a single form that covers all the requirements,” she told reporters at her office after chairing a meeting on the matter yesterday.
On the proposed single form, Fatimah said it would not be ‘a new type of form’ per se, but rather an upgrade of the existing system.
“We are still in the process of finalising it. The idea of coming up with a single form registration came after my ministry took steps to review the standard operating procedures (SOP) for daycare centres and kindergartens during a workshop, held from June 23 to 24 at Waterfront Hotel, which involved (relevant) technical agencies.”
The technical agencies involved in the workshop included the Ministry for Local Government and Housing, Welfare Department Sarawak, Department of Land and Survey Sarawak, Health Department Sarawak, Kuching City South Council (MBKS), Kuching City North Commission (DBKU), Fire and Rescue Department, and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA).
The workshop was aimed at reviewing the existing SOP for the registration and application process for daycare centres and kindergartens, and also identifying the methods deemed to be more practical and quicker to implement.
Fatimah said following the workshop, all advocacy matters, submission of documents and document reviews pertaining to registration of new daycare centres and kindergartens would be made at respective divisional Community Welfare Office (PKMB).
“A complete checklist and briefing on the requirements of all technical agencies will also be made for all officers who manage the registration of daycare centres and kindergartens under each PKMB.
“My ministry expects any party who wishes to operate a daycare centre or kindergarten to ensure that all procedures are complied with and approved prior to starting operations,” she said.
In addition, Fatimah said upon the approval of registration, every daycare centre and kindergartens would be eligible for assistance and schemes, including the annual special grant of RM5,000 slated for every early childhood education institution.