Penang: 85 kindergartens, 45 nurseries, 56 old folks care centres unlicensed

State Social Development and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Chong Eng said various measures had been implemented to enable the operators to be licensed, including carrying out advocacy programmes and advising them as well as holding dialogues to brief them on the registration process.

"Despite these measures, many operators have not come forward to get their licence," she said in reply to the oral question from A. Kumaresan (PKR-Batu Uban) who wanted to know the number of unregistered nurseries, kindergartens and care centres for senior citizens.

Chong said, however, a total of 123 nurseries, 461 kindergartens and 28 senior citizens' care centres have been registered and operating legally in the state.

She said the state government, through the Penang Social Welfare Department (JKMNPP) and the Penang Education Department (JPNPP), conducts monitoring on the unregistered premises to ensure they make the efforts to register their operations and comply with the prescribed act, rules and conditions.

On the state government's efforts in improving care centres' services, Chong said it allocates RM300,000 per year for a period of three years in grants to upgrade nurseries and childcare centres.

"For the first quarter of this year, the state government has approved applications from 11 nurseries and childcare centres amounting to RM194,138.98," she said adding that the allocation was aimed at easing the operators' financial burden in efforts to improve the quality of their services.