Childcare is economic infrastructure, not ‘just a job’, says Tengku Zafrul

Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, the Prime Minister's Senior Political Adviser, emphasized the importance of the childcare profession as a critical component of Malaysia's economic and social support system.

Recognizing trusted childcare services allows parents to work with peace of mind, he advocated for better training, certification, and recognition to elevate the profession's standards.

Speaking at the Central Zone Gala Pesona Kasih Madani, he highlighted initiatives like Kasih Madani that have enhanced the skills of over 1,000 childcare providers since 2025.

These efforts align with the government's fiscal planning and are aimed at bolstering the sector's professionalism.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — The childcare profession should be regarded as an important component in supporting the family economy and not merely as a job involving the care of children, said the Prime Minister’s Senior Political Adviser Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

He said having trusted childcare providers enabled parents to work with greater peace of mind while ensuring that their children received proper care, making the childcare sector part of the country’s economic and social support ecosystem.

“We need to change the perception that it is merely a job. The reality is that the childcare profession is closely linked to parents’ ability to work.

“Looking after those who care for our children is the same as looking after Malaysia’s future,” he said in his speech at the opening of the Central Zone Gala Pesona Kasih Madani at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Convention Centre, Taman Melawati, here today.

Tengku Zafrul said his experience interacting with communities had also shown how families relied heavily on trusted childcare providers, particularly to enable parents to continue working while ensuring their children’s welfare was taken care of.

He also said that training, certification, recognition and legislation relating to childcare should continue to be prioritised to ensure that the profession had stronger standards and received due recognition.

In this regard, he said the views and challenges shared by childcare providers through the programme would be brought to the Finance Ministry and the prime minister for consideration in the Budget 2027 planning, including aspects of support, training, certification and the expansion of related programmes.

About 600 informal childcare providers, family members, mentors, programme partners and stakeholders attended the Central Zone Gala Pesona Kasih Madani, which was organised to strengthen the knowledge, skills and level of professionalism of home-based childcare providers in Malaysia.

Since its launch in August 2025, Kasih Madani has reached more than 1,000 childcare providers in four states — Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Kedah and Penang — through programmes such as the Madani Childcare Pilot Course (KARISMA), Madani Childcare Seminar (SEMAI) and Madani Childcare Professionalisation Skills Mentoring (BITARA).

The initiative, implemented by Merdeka Center with the support of Yayasan Sime Darby and the Ministry of Finance through Budget 2026, also focuses on skills development, career planning, leadership, personal branding and mentoring to strengthen the professionalism of childcare providers. — Bernama

Fake cops scare retired Bachok teacher into handing over ATM cards and wife’s gold necklace

Haze tightens its grip: 32 areas now recording unhealthy API readings

Cop’s knock wakes startled Audi driver before wrong-way scare in Johor Bahru

Police: Foreign man who caused disturbance at KLIA suspected of having mental health issues

首相高级政治顾问东姑拿督斯里扎夫鲁东姑阿都阿齐兹强调了托儿行业作为马来西亚经济和社会支持系统重要组成部分的重要性。

他认为，认可值得信赖的托儿服务可以让父母安心工作，因此提倡更好的培训、认证和认可，以提高该行业的标准。

他在中央区慈善晚会 Pesona Kasih Madani 上发表讲话，重点介绍了 Kasih Madani 等举措，这些举措自 2025 年以来已提高了 1000 多名儿童保育员的技能。

这些举措与政府的财政规划相一致，旨在提升该行业的专业水平。

吉隆坡，9月20日讯——首相高级政治顾问东姑拿督斯里扎夫鲁·东姑阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹表示，托儿行业应该被视为支持家庭经济的重要组成部分，而不仅仅是一份照顾儿童的工作。

他表示，拥有值得信赖的托儿服务提供者，可以让父母更加安心地工作，同时确保他们的孩子得到妥善照顾，使托儿行业成为国家经济和社会支持生态系统的一部分。

“我们需要改变人们认为这只是一份工作的看法。事实上，育儿行业与父母的工作能力密切相关。”

“照顾好那些照顾我们孩子的人，就如同照顾马来西亚的未来一样，”他今天在安邦再也市政会议中心（Taman Melawati）举行的中央区关爱晚会开幕式上发表讲话时说道。

东姑扎夫鲁表示，他与社区互动的经验也表明，许多家庭非常依赖值得信赖的托儿服务提供者，尤其是在确保子女福利得到照顾的同时，父母能够继续工作方面。

他还表示，应继续优先考虑与儿童保育相关的培训、认证、认可和立法，以确保该行业拥有更高的标准并获得应有的认可。

在这方面，他表示，托儿服务提供者通过该计划提出的意见和挑战将提交给财政部和首相，供其在 2027 年预算规划中考虑，包括支持、培训、认证和扩大相关计划等方面。

约 600 名非正式托儿服务提供者、家庭成员、导师、项目合作伙伴和利益相关者参加了中央区关爱儿童慈善晚会，该晚会旨在加强马来西亚家庭托儿服务提供者的知识、技能和专业水平。

自 2025 年 8 月启动以来，Kasih Madani 通过 Madani 儿童保育试点课程 (KARISMA)、Madani 儿童保育研讨会 (SEMAI) 和 Madani 儿童保育专业化技能指导 (BITARA) 等项目，已覆盖吉隆坡、霹雳、吉打和槟城四个州的 1000 多名儿童保育服务提供者。

这项由独立中心在森那美基金会和财政部的支持下，通过2026年财政预算案实施的计划，旨在通过技能发展、职业规划、领导力培养、个人品牌塑造和导师制，提升托幼服务人员的专业水平。——马新社

假警察恐吓巴乔克退休教师，骗取其银行卡和妻子的金项链。

雾霾加剧：目前已有32个地区的空气质量指数（API）读数不健康

新山：警察敲门声惊醒受惊的奥迪司机，避免其逆行发生意外

警方：在吉隆坡国际机场制造骚乱的外籍男子疑似有精神健康问题