Lack of safe, accessible childcare a growing concern for Malaysian parents - Dr Halimah Ali

SHAH ALAM - With the rising economic pressures forcing mothers to seek additional income and pursue career advancement, Pas lawmaker Dr Halimah Ali is urging the government to address the critical shortage of safe and accessible childcare centres across the country.

The Kapar member of parliament said the lack of adequate childcare options has become a growing concern for parents.

"The current economic situation leaves mothers no choice but to work, and they need reliable childcare to ensure their children are safe. But the reality is that there aren't enough safe, accessible centres to accommodate this need," she told Sinar Daily when contacted.

Her comments followed the tragic death of an eight-month-old baby boy at a daycare center in Taman Kelemak Utama, Alor Gajah, Melaka, on Saturday.

The Pas Unity Bureau chairperson also highlighted that many childcare centres were inconveniently located, which complicates the daily routines of working parents.

"Parents are looking for creative solutions because many centers are too far from their homes or workplaces," she added.

Dr Halimah also pointed out the challenges faced by mothers who move to new areas and struggle to find suitable childcare options.

"When relocating, parents often find themselves in a rush to secure childcare without sufficient knowledge about the affordability or quality of local centres," she said.

As a temporary measure, some parents resort to informal childcare arrangements which may compromise the child’s safety and well-being.

"This often means relying on neighbours or older siblings to watch over the younger children, which is far from ideal," she said.

Dr Halimah called on the government to mandate that all government agencies provide official childcare services.

"It's imperative that every agency offers dedicated childcare facilities to support working parents," she said.

While Pas operates Human Development Care (Tasti) centres registered with the Social Welfare Department (JKM), which focus primarily on preschool education, Dr Halimah acknowledged that these do not accommodate infants, thereby leaving a significant gap in care.

She advocated for a comprehensive study to understand why many childcare centres remain unregistered.

"We need to identify the barriers these centres face in meeting registration standards and work towards practical solutions that encourage compliance," she urged.

Dr Halimah stressed the necessity for the government to ensure more kindergartens are established and supported to meet the growing demand.

"The goal is to provide a win-win solution where children are safe and parents can work without undue stress," she said.

Sinar Daily's checks found that JKM has 3083 registered kindergartens in Malaysia.

Among the states, Selangor had the most registered kindergartens at 995, followed by Johor (284) and Kuala Lumpur (204).

The remaining statistics include, Sabah (211), Perak (202), Kelantan (155), Negeri Sembilan (146), Terengganu (139), Melaka (138), Penang (137), Pahang (135), Kedah (129), Sarawak (104), Putrajaya (48), Perlis (40) and Labuan (16).