Sarawak govt mulls reward for brave kindy teacher

SARIKEI - Sarawak Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Ministryis considering giving a reward to a female teacher who protected kindergarten children from a teen running an amok in Tanjung Manis near here on June 13.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the teacher at Tabika Kemas Kampung Rajang took courageous action to protect the children from being harmed by the suspect.

"We will try to give an appropriate reward to this teacher for her sacrifice,” she told reporters after the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) and Maternity Assistance (BIB) presentation ceremony here today.

In the incident at around 8.20am, a 17-year-old boy believed to be under drug influence entered the compound of the kindergarten and caused property damages in the area.

He then attempted to enter one of the classrooms but the teacher fought him off, resulting in injuries to her hands, leg and back.

The teenager was then arrested and investigated under Sections 323 and 427 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Fatimah in her speech at the ceremony, said as of May 31, a total of 94,781 EFS accounts had been opened involving an allocation of RM94,781,000.

She said under the EFS initiative, RM1,000 is given in the form of trust savings to every Sarawakian child born in the state starting in 2019.

As for the BIB programme, a total of 48,278 mothers have received one-off assistance of RM450 each, involving an allocation of RM21,725,100. - BERNAMA