KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — A special KEMAS preschool for children with autism will be built in every state from next year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He added that the move to set up the special preschool is to ensure autistic kids’ access to inclusive and affordable early education.
The move, he said, takes into account the KEMAS education ecosystem, which is capable of offering special needs education.
“Most parents with autistic children are forced to send them to non-KEMAS preschools that charge very high fees, posing a financial burden on families.
“Next year, every state will build this special KEMAS preschool for children with autism, and, God willing, if there are sufficient funds, by 2027, every district will have at least one KEMAS Autism Preschool,” said Zahidi, who is also rural and regional development minister.
He said this when winding up the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 policy-stage debate for his ministry at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Replying to an interjection by Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) about the ministry’s preparedness for the initiative, Zahid said streamlining has already been carried out with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for Community-Based Rehabilitation, so there is no overlap.
As for the curriculum, he said streamlining has been performed with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) to ensure the special education curriculum can be comprehensively implemented.
Commenting on the issue of governance involving several agencies, including Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), under his ministry, Zahid said results of the review from the auditor-general’s reports and briefings with the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance Ministry revealed no evidence of embezzlement.
“On the appointment of Kedah Regional Development Authority (KEDA) programme advisers from among political activists, I’d like to clarify that they do not receive any allowance. They are asked to help boost engagement with participants and the local community,” he said.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the coming northeast monsoon, Zahid, who is the Central Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the early warning system is being employed at flood hotspots to enable evacuation warnings to be issued two to three days earlier.
Zahid said the agencies involved, such as the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), are looking into alternative methods for slope safety by planting early warning devices to detect tremors or soil movement.
