PERIKATAN Nasional must continue setting up more childcare facilities so that front-liners can focus on containing the Covid-19 pandemic, said Hannah Yeoh.

“The Budget 2020 allocation of RM30 million should have been enough for 200 new childcare centres at government agencies and workplace. But RM24.5 million have been redirected to Penjana instead,” said the former deputy women, family and community development minister in an online press conference today.

Yeoh said despite the threefold increase in the budget (from RM10 million in 2019 to RM30 million in 2020), the government has only set up 34 new childcare centres (RM5.5 million).

“In 2019, the government set up 65 childcare centres throughout the country with just RM10 million,” said the Segambut MP.

Childcare centres for front-liners have become more crucial today because of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

“The reality is, most front-liners, such as medical and security personnel, have to do shift work but don’t have sufficient support.

“Some have had to take leave or send their children to private centres that involve higher costs due to the nature of the front-liners’ shift work.”

According to Yeoh, only 124 out of 148 government clinics and hospitals have childcare facilities.

In a Twitter poll, conducted on October 14, Yeoh found that 52% of public service front-liners said they have had to take leave to take care of their children because of a lack of childcare facilities at their workplace.

Another 22% are sending their children to private centres that are more expensive.

The poll, which was run by Yeoh, attracted 2,679 replies.

According to Yeoh, the ministry diverted RM24.5 million to Penjana that gave a RM5,000 grant to all childcare centre operators to help them cope with the movement-control order restrictions.

As of June 23, 1,766 childcare operators have applied for the RM5,000 grant. – October 23, 2020.