All childcare centres and nurseries are allowed to operate now by following the standard operating procedures (SOP). Before the announcement was made, only 304 centres nationwide were opened during the conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

Photo source: atap

According to The Borneo Post, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, 

"The SOP, refined by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, has been approved by the government. It includes the SOP for sending the child to the centre, for when the child is in the centre’s care, and for when the child is picked up."

"The centre operators can refer to the ministry’s website and that of the Social Welfare Department for more details of the SOP,” he said at the daily press conference on Covid-19 security issues in Putrajaya today."

Due to the pandemic, childcare issue has become a concern for the parents who are both working with no one to help them take care of their small children.

"It was also found that some private companies forced their employees to take unpaid leave if they wanted to take care of their children."

"Now that childcare centres and nurseries are allowed to operate, I hope this will no longer be an issue for working parents," he said.

"Many kindergartens (tadika and tabika) are under the purview of various ministries. As such, the Education Ministry will coordinate and come up with the SOP for their reopening."

"We will wait for them to come up with the complete SOP before deciding whether to allow the kindergartens to reopen in July," he said.

Cover photo: canva