SABAH FIRST STATE TO RECEIVE TWO KEMAS AUTISM KINDERGARTENS NEXT YEAR - AHMAD ZAHID

KIMANIS, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Sabah is set to become the first state in the country to receive two Community Development Department (KEMAS) tabika (kindergartens) dedicated specifically to children with autism, to be established in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan and scheduled to open next year.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Sabah was given priority due to the state’s vast geographical landscape and the need to provide more inclusive access to early education for children with autism.

“For autism programmes in Sabah, we will begin with two centres first, and if there is a need for another in the Tawau area, we will increase it to three next year, in 2026,” he said when speaking to reporters after officiating the Sentuhan Kasih Desa @ Bongawan programme here today.

He said the initiative was crucial, as many parents previously had no option but to care for their autistic children at home or send them to private centres - an option often too costly and inaccessible for families in rural areas.

Ahmad Zahid added that while other states began the programme with a single autism-focused kindergarten, Sabah was the first to start with two centres, serving as a model for future expansion. The two centres form the initial phase of a project that will later be expanded nationwide.

“Next year, each state will have only one centre. But in Sabah, we will start with two. By 2027, we aim to have one autism kindergarten in every district across Malaysia,” he said.

“For 2027, we plan to establish one autism kindergarten in every district nationwide, including all districts in Sabah. We will also seek additional allocations from the Finance Ministry under Budget 2027 to further increase the number of autism kindergartens in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid also expressed his appreciation for Sabah’s achievements in the KEMAS Pre-Tahfiz Kindergarten programme, noting that it has received an exceptionally strong response from the local community.

“At the beginning, when the KEMAS classes were introduced with only four groups, we were concerned that the response in Sabah might be limited. Sabah is home to diverse religions, races and more than 30 sub-ethnic groups. But alhamdulillah, the KEMAS Pre-Tahfiz Kindergarten programme in Sabah has turned out to be the best in the entire country,” he said.

He said that the achievement also reflected the openness of Sabah’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities to early childhood education programmes that emphasise values and discipline.

-- BERNAMA