Why childcare centres are pulling back from baby care in Malaysia
Past cases of infant deaths and injuries have also led many centres to accept only children aged one and above.
SHAH ALAM – Malaysia’s early childhood care sector is under strain, with between 35 and 40 per cent of registered childcare operators nationwide no longer offering services for infants under one year old.
The situation is particularly severe in some states where centres have stopped admitting babies altogether.
Rising operating costs, driven by the implementation of the minimum wage and the fear of legal action in the event of accidents are among the reasons behind the decline.
Past cases of infant deaths and injuries have also led many centres to accept only children aged one and above.
Malaysian Registered Childcare Providers Association president, Norsheila Abdullah, explained that under the Childcare Centre Act 1984 the ratio requires one registered caregiver for every three infants under one year old.
“But the fees parents can afford to pay are only around RM400 to RM700 a month, far below the actual costs. With a minimum wage of RM1,700 plus mandatory EPF and Socso contributions of about RM600 per caregiver, the sums simply do not add up,” she said.
In the East Coast and northern states, operators face even greater challenges, as parents struggle to pay more than RM400 per month, while minimum wage requirements and rental costs continue to rise.
Norsheila noted that many parents underestimate the complexity of infant care, which requires structured activities to stimulate mental and physical development.
“We are not just feeding babies; this is about safeguarding lives. Staff must have Early Childhood Care and Education (Permata KAP) and Preschool Co-Curriculum (KP) certification,” she stressed.
The trend has raised wider concerns, with between 15 and 25 per cent of centres now considering shutting down altogether.
According to the Social Welfare Department (JKM), there are currently 4,016 registered childcare centres across the country. Selangor has the highest number (1,439), followed by Johor (445), Sabah (257), Kuala Lumpur (210), Kedah (126), Kelantan (198), Melaka (213), Negeri Sembilan (178) and Pahang (176). Other states include Perak (198), Perlis (45), Penang (184), Sarawak (163), Terengganu (136), Labuan (16) and Putrajaya (53).
However, this figure falls drastically short of the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 centres needed to serve around four million new births.
Putrajaya Childcare and Kindergarten Operators Association (Puspajaya) president, Husna Abdul Rahaman, urged the government to step in with a subsidy scheme to ease the pressure.
“The actual cost of infant care at workplace childcare centres can reach RM1,000 per month. If the government does not intervene, more operators will stop admitting babies.
"At the very least, subsidies of RM300 per child should be provided to parents who send their infants to centres,” she said.
Without such measures, she warned, parents will increasingly turn to unregistered home-based babysitters, raising the risks to both children’s safety and their early development.
Download Sinar Daily application.Click Here!
