KUALA LUMPUR: The Parliamentary Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development has emphasised Malaysia’s need for specific legislation and a single agency to regulate the early childhood care and education sector.
Committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin stated that Malaysia’s ECCE sector significantly trails other human capital development areas in policy, governance and funding.
“Our country lacks a comprehensive policy or specific Act governing the ECCE sector, with many overlapping functions among various agencies,“ she said during a briefing session in the Dewan Rakyat.
Yeo revealed the committee conducted 13 engagement sessions and a working visit to Singapore to study its ECCE model while preparing their comprehensive report.
She proposed establishing a dedicated agency similar to Singapore’s Early Childhood Development Authority to fully regulate and develop Malaysia’s ECCE sector.
The main challenges identified include complex licensing procedures, qualified personnel shortages and financial strain on private operators offering affordable fees.
“ECCE operators frequently complain about bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining premises and business registration, sometimes causing them to give up entirely,“ Yeo explained.
This has resulted in very low registration rates for private childcare centres and kindergartens compared to the actual number operating nationwide.
Yeo also expressed concern about quality disparities in ECCE education and facilities between urban and rural areas and between public and private providers.
Key recommendations include establishing a National Early Childhood Care and Education Council and providing annual grants for non-profit private operators.
The committee also proposed setting up more public ECCE premises and standardising qualification requirements for early education teachers across all agencies.
They recommended increasing preschool food aid allocation in Sabah and Sarawak to RM5 per capita daily.
Yeo emphasised that early childhood education forms a vital foundation in shaping the future of individuals and the nation.
“Our goal is to ensure no child is left behind and every child in Malaysia achieves holistic development regardless of background,“ she stated.
Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Noor suggested that all committee recommendations and parliamentary proposals be submitted as motions for ministerial responses.
“Many questions remain unanswered, and it’s unclear whether proposals will become government policy,“ he said before adjourning the sitting.
The parliamentary sitting will resume tomorrow. – Bernama