Prasekolah usia 5 tahun langkah tepat bantu B40

 Ahli akademik berkata usaha kerajaan dilihat mampu ringan beban ibu bapa dan lancarkan persediaan kanak-kanak ke sekolah rendah.

Kerajaan akan mewajibkan pendidikan prasekolah bagi kanak-kanak rakyat Malaysia mulai usia lima tahun bawah RMK13.

PETALING JAYA:

 Pendidikan prasekolah bermula usia lima tahun yang akan dilaksanakan di sekolah kerajaan dilihat mampu membantu golongan B40 supaya mereka tidak perlu menanggung kos tinggi di pusat pendidikan swasta.

Pakar pendidikan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Anuar Ahmad, berkata laporan Bank Dunia pada 2023 mendapati kadar kemasukan murid ke prasekolah sekitar 86% kerana ada segelintir ibu bapa tidak mampu dari segi kewangan.

“Ketika ini, kerajaan pun tidak menyediakan begitu banyak prasekolah, terutamanya kawasan bandar ini, dan akhirnya mereka terpaksa membayar untuk (masukkan anak) ke prasekolah swasta yang harganya mahal. Jadi ini memberikan kesan perbelanjaan kepada keluarga miskin.

“Sebab itu, apabila kerajaan bersetuju untuk ambil alih dan uruskan sepenuhnya prasekolah ini, pada saya (ini) usaha yang sangat baik,” katanya kepada FMT.

Anuar Ahmad.

Ketika membentangkan Rancangan Malaysia ke-13 (RMK13) di Dewan Rakyat hari ini, Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim berkata kerajaan akan mewajibkan pendidikan prasekolah mulai usia lima tahun.

Ketika ini, kanak-kanak rakyat Malaysia wajib didaftarkan untuk pendidikan rendah bermula usia enam tahun.

“Lebih banyak kemudahan prasekolah di sekolah kelolaan Kementerian Pendidikan (KPM) akan disediakan terutama di kawasan desa,” kata perdana menteri.

Mengulas lanjut, Anuar berkata, langkah tersebut juga mampu memastikan kesinambungan pembelajaran dari peringkat prasekolah hingga sekolah menengah seperti dilakukan di kebanyakan negara maju.

Dalam pada itu, ahli akademik Mohd Effendi @ Ewan Mohd Matore juga dari UKM berkata, perkara ini wajar dilaksanakan asalkan kandungan pembelajaran sesuai dengan tahap usia kanak-kanak tersebut.

Mohd Effendi @ Ewan Mohd Matore.

“Penumpuan mesti diberikan pada penumpuan akhlak dan nilai murni. Usaha ini juga boleh melatih kanak kanak untuk berdikari dan mengurus diri dengan baik.

“Tidak perlu fokus hanya pada kandungan yang berat, tetapi perlu lebih kepada sahsiah,” katanya.

Effendi berkata, kerajaan juga wajar memperhalusi kurikulum pendidikan prasekolah supaya kanak-kanak tidak terbeban, sebaliknya merasai keseronokan belajar.

“Selain itu, keputusan ini akan melancarkan persediaan kanak-kanak lebih awal sebelum ke alam persekolahan (rendah) kelak,” katanya. - FMT

Speed up travel documents for detainees, Indonesian embassy urged

 Sabah immigration director Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff says this is to facilitate their immediate repatriation.

Sabah immigration director Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff said some foreign nationals had been detained for three to four months as they waited for their travel documents. (File pic)

TAWAU:

 The Indonesian embassy has been urged to expedite the issuance of travel documents in lieu of passports (SPLP) for 969 of its nationals currently detained at immigration depots in Sabah.

Sabah immigration director Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff said this was to facilitate their immediate repatriation.

She said the cooperation of the relevant authorities was needed so that the detainees could return to their home country and resume their normal lives.

“The last transfer was in March. Imagine, these people have now been detained at immigration depots for three to four months. Without the SPLP, their detention will be prolonged. The same goes for Filipino nationals, who also require travel documents before they can be repatriated.

“This is the procedure; when detainees held at immigration depots want to be repatriated to their home countries, an SPLP (for Indonesians) or a valid travel document (for Filipinos) from the embassy or consulate is required,” she said.

She was speaking to reporters during an inspection of the repatriation of 108 Indonesian undocumented migrants aged between 18 and 65 at the Tawau Ferry Terminal today.

Meanwhile, she said authorities detained 11 Pakistani men during a raid on a house in Semporna early this morning after they failed to produce valid personal documents.

“Of the total, two claimed to have documents under spousal guarantee with Malaysian citizens, and another had a temporary employment visit pass but was supposed to be in Kota Kinabalu,” she added. - FMT

Addressing workforce shortage in health sector crucial to 13MP

 Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib notes that fewer students are now opting for STEM subjects.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib said the country was heading for a severe workforce shortage and may need to bring in foreign healthcare workers. (Envato Elements pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Healthcare experts say addressing the workforce shortage should be a key thrust of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat earlier today.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Putrajaya will allocate RM40 billion for the health sector under the 13MP. Apart from building and upgrading health facilities in several states, Anwar also said a framework for professional development will be developed to ensure talent retention in the health sector.

Azrul Khalib.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib told FMT that the RM40 billion allocation should fund long-term investment in healthcare infrastructure, modernisation of medical equipment, and improvements to the workplace environment.

He also said it was crucial to continue developing the public health workforce by offering students scholarships or grants for training as fewer students are now opting for STEM subjects.

“We’re heading for a severe (workforce) shortage (and) we may have to bite the bullet and bring in foreign healthcare workers from countries like Indonesia,” he said.

“We also need to invest more in health literacy programmes that inform and empower people to take charge of their health. A sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and the lack of effective obesity treatments must be addressed.”

Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira.

Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said addressing worker shortages must be prioritised as it continues to be one of the biggest issues facing the public healthcare system.

Kalwinder said although the government’s plan to upgrade more than 1,700 dilapidated public health clinics and build new facilities across the country was timely, it should be accompanied by clear timelines to ensure accountability – and corresponding plans to boost human resource capacity.

“We welcome plans for a national framework for development in the health sector to address human resource needs. We hope this will encompass all healthcare professions in the ecosystem,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia president Dr G Shanmuganathan said the RM40 billion figure must be viewed in the context of Malaysia’s chronic underinvestment in health as national health spending in the country, at just over 2% of the gross domestic product, lags behind regional benchmarks.

Dr G Shanmuganathan.

Shanmuganathan said the focus on infrastructure upgrades, digitalisation and public-private collaboration in the 13MP was timely, but warned against centralised, top-down digital projects that exclude frontline providers such as general practitioners.

“If the RM40 billion is to truly transform healthcare … it must rebuild trust, empower providers and improve patient care — especially at the community level where most care begins.

“Without interoperability with private clinics and pharmacies, digitalisation efforts will fall short of their potential,” he said.

Shanmuganathan also said the RM40 billion must be accompanied by structural reforms, transparency and clear measurable outcomes.

“The real question is not only the size of the budget but how effectively and equitably it will be used. If poorly governed, even RM100 billion will not fix systemic issues,” he said. - FMT

Cops hunt 6 men after armed robbery at Kapar snooker centre

 The suspects, armed with parangs, fled the scene with RM823.

A 52-second video went viral on TikTok earlier today showing three suspects wearing helmets and armed with parangs entering a snooker centre and threatening the cashier to hand over money.

PETALING JAYA:

 Police are tracking down six men involved in an armed robbery at a snooker centre in Kapar, Klang, yesterday.

Klang Utara police chief S Vijaya Rao said the incident took place at around 7pm. The suspects armed with parangs fled the scene with RM823, reported Bernama.

“Based on CCTV footage, three of the suspects entered the premises while the other three waited outside on three motorcycles,” he said.

Vijaya said the case is being investigated under Section 395 of the Penal Code for gang robbery and Section 397 for armed robbery.

He also urged those with information on the case to contact the Klang Utara police headquarters at 03-3291 2222.

Earlier today, a 52-second video went viral on TikTok showing three suspects wearing helmets and armed with parangs entering a snooker centre and threatening the cashier to hand over money.

Several customers were inside playing snooker at the time of the incident. - FMT