KOTA TINGGI: The Ministry of National Unity plans to increase the number of Tabika Perpaduan kindergartens nationwide as a continuous effort to nurture the spirit of unity from an early age.

Its minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said to date there are 1,781 Tabika Perpaduan kindergartens involving 35,238 children nationwide.

She said the state departments would check and conduct a survey before the move is implemented and so far, Perlis, Melaka and Putrajaya have the least number of kindergartens.

“These  kindergartens are located in urban settlements especially in the local authority (PBT) areas.

"The increase in number will be based on the census being conducted by the State Unity Department directors," the Kota Tinggi MP told reporters after presenting school aid to schoolchildren here, today.

At the same time, she said the syllabus for Tabika Perpaduan kindergartens would be improved with the introduction of two new subjects namely basic Mandarin and Tamil.

“We are introducing this new syllabus  as the children are from the various races, and we hope the syllabus is according to what had been set by the Ministry of Education.

"At the same time, we also teach them essential life skills to fend for themselves, including how to make their own bed, arrange their shoes properly and so forth," she said.

Meanwhile, she said this year, all Tabika Perpaduan schoolchildren were given two sets of uniforms, headscarves, a school bag, shoes and writing tools in an effort to help parents during the pandemic.

On the Rukun Tetangga Community (KRT), Halimah said, the number would also be increased accordingly or one KRT for every neighbourhood of 1,000 houses.

“This is a new policy that I have introduced together with the voluntary patrol scheme. Earlier it was one KRT to 1,500 houses, “ she added.

-- BERNAMA