KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Government agencies, particularly those with shift workers and which are in need of child care centres, were urged today by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to apply for funding made available through a RM30 million allocation in the 2020 Budget.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said so far, only 36 agencies had applied for funding.

"We need to check on the agencies which have submitted applications...if they already have child care centres, whether the application is for an upgrade, and such,” she said, during a press conference after officially opening the Child Care Centre in the Parliament building here.

Also present was Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

Earlier in her speech, Dr Wan Azizah said it was anticipated that the RM30 million allocation would facilitate the establishment of 150 more child care centres in public workplaces across the country this year, compared to 64 centres last year with an allocation of RM 10 million. — Bernama