TEACHERS and administrative staff of government-run Kemas kindergartens who were appointed for their political affiliation to Umno must step down from party posts if they intend to continue working with the social welfare department, said Minister of Rural Development Rina Mohd Harun.

Rina said around 600 Kemas staff were currently playing active roles in Umno.

“Most of these 600 have positions such as branch chiefs, division chiefs, committee members, Puteri chiefs, and Wanita members,” she said.

“So we have given them an ultimatum, in that we want to retain them as Kemas staff to return to their roles in educating children,” Rina said at a press conference in Kampung Olak Lempit, Banting, Selangor today.

She said that 10,253 contractual staff and 7,286 permanent staff at Kemas nationwide would be retained.

“We have identified that all of these are not involved in politics, as their employment was through the Public Services Commision,” she said.

Rina said some 70% of Kemas teachers were qualified and held early childhood education diplomas.

Kemas kindergartens were set up to provide free education for children aged 4 to 6, from lower income groups.

However, critics have said the kindergartens were used as political tools by the former Barisan Nasional government.

Mohd Affendy Amiruddin, a Kemas administrator who was present at today’s event, said that Rina’s call for staff to quit from their political party roles was to be expected, adding that their involvement in politics was the norm in the old government.

“In the past, being involved in the (Umno) party was not a problem because the government and the department were on the same page, but now the government has changed,” he said.

Mohd Affendy said he used to be a Umno division youth chief, but had since quit from his party post.

“Like me, I’ve already relinquished my post. We all just need to remember that our role in Kemas is to serve the government of the day.” – June 7, 2018.