By Fitri Hazim Hazam
SHAH ALAM, Jan 19 — The Selangor state government will place a key focus on the caregiving sector this year by providing training and social funding for caregivers, in line with community needs, said state executive councillor for social welfare Anfaal Saari.
She said caregiving, which largely involves women and those caring for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities (OKU), requires more systematic and structured attention.
“This year, I see a strong focus on caregiving, training and social funding. We will pay particular attention to women and caregivers who look after persons with disabilities, senior citizens and children,” she told Media Selangor.
Anfaal stressed that caregiving should not be viewed merely as charitable work, but as a viable employment sector with income-generating potential.
“Most importantly, we see caregiving as a job opportunity and an emerging trend. I will be looking into providing social funding opportunities, while at the same time expanding caregiving training for caregivers,” she said.
She added that the increase in allocations for women under the 2026 Budget has given her office greater scope to strengthen existing social well-being programmes.
“For example, the MamaKerja programme, which received an allocation of RM5 million, is expected to help more women re-enter the workforce,” she said.
Last October, the state government organised the Selangor International Care Summit (SICS) 2025 for the first time. The three-day event was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) as a key step towards realising Selangor’s vision of becoming a care hub for the Asia-Pacific region.
The summit featured four main components: care townhall sessions, a care forum, a caring business-matching segment and a care expo. It saw participation from 54 exhibitors, including international representatives from Finland, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, and India.
The exhibitors showcased a wide range of innovative care products, skills and technologies, highlighting the growing business potential within the expanding care economy.
