KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — A minister today said the Permata federal childcare programme helmed by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is a success despite stalled development of several of the scheme’s centres amounting to RM 4 million.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also said that the programme that has 2,317 participants nationwide was widely supported, when answering G. Manivannan (PKR-Kapar) question on halted works at five Permata centres in two states.
“The five centres were not developed because of problems with the construction sites.
“We conclude that the Permata Negara programme has succeeded and today’s reply answers similar queries of two-years on this issue,” Shahidan said during the question and answer session.
The five centres in question are in Sabak Bernam, Gombak Setia, and Bandar Baharu (Kedah) as well as Linggi and Lubuk Merbau in Perak with an approved funding of RM 800,000 each.
Manivannan had alleged that the Permata programme was a failure as it lacked progression and catered only to children aged four and under, and demanded to know why the scheme was limited to such a short period.
Shahidan responded to say a programme the scale of Permata would not be permitted to end in failure, and that he would answer Manivannan with a written reply on the query soon.
