KUCHING: Chairman of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan Branch, Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok, has voiced strong support for United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF)’s call for a Universal Childcare Allowance.
He believes this initiative would be highly beneficial and ideal for Sarawak.
“With the unique demographic and economic challenges faced by Sarawak, noting that while the state covers a land mass almost equal to that of Malaya, it has only 10 per cent of the population. This disparity underscores the need for a robust investment in human capital to sustain Sarawak’s aspirations of becoming a high-income state.
“The younger generation is increasingly concerned about the rising costs of living and the burden of financing their children’s education. They fear having to sacrifice their quality of life to ensure their children’s future, essentially becoming ‘slaves to our children’,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Currently, the Sarawak government provides free kindergarten education for its residents, complemented by the federal government’s provision of free primary and secondary education for all Malaysians.
Furthermore, the state government has announced plans to offer free tertiary education by 2026 for all qualified Sarawakians at state-owned universities and colleges.
“Sarawakians should not to be overly anxious about the financial implications of having more children, emphasising that the state’s initiatives in providing free education at all levels will alleviate significant financial burdens,” he said.
He stressed that UNICEF’s proposal of RM200.00 per month from pregnancy to the child’s age of two would substantially aid in covering initial living costs for newborn Sarawakians.
He called on the Sarawak government to seriously consider implementing UNICEF’s Universal Childcare Allowance.
“This would reassure child-bearing parents that the state government is committed to supporting them from the cradle to grave. Such grants can be seen as an investment in our human capital, essential for our progress towards becoming a developed state,” he added.
He said this investment in universal childcare would ultimately be recouped through the taxes generated when these children become productive adults.
