KUCHING: The Sarawak Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) is planning to establish a centre of excellence for youth next year.

Its Minister, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the establishment of this centre is crucial in the ministry’s efforts to develop and nurture the talents of children, enabling them to reach higher levels of achievement.

She further explained that the centre is necessary to expand and enhance existing talents to ensure that Sarawak has a dedicated facility to nurture skills from childhood up to adulthood.

"The issue we currently face is that when children enter primary school, their talents are no longer nurtured and developed further due to a lack of opportunities and platforms.

"That is why we are rebranding the SeDidik Centre of Excellence into a centre for youth, meaning it will not just cater to preschool children from Taman Didikan Kanak-Kanak (Kindergarten).

"We will start on a small scale in 2025 by identifying the talents we want to further develop,” she said.

She said this when met by reporters after officiating the 7th Edition of the Sarawak Preschool Kids Got Talent (SPKGT) Exhibition at a leading hotel here on Thursday.

Earlier in her speech, Dato Sri Fatimah mentioned that the annual programme organised by KPWK not only highlights talents such as singing but also focuses on developing other skills, including colouring, storytelling, and dancing, as well as special categories for children with special needs.

"We need to focus on these areas and make full use of the time available to tap into their creativity and innovation, which will then be nurtured and developed to their full potential," she said.

This year, SPKGT expanded its approach by holding online and open competitions in four districts, namely Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, and Sibu, with 1,681 children participating.

Winners in each category were invited to the 7th Edition of the SPKGT Exhibition, where the children's artwork, dance performances, singing, and storytelling skills were showcased.

Also present were KPWK Deputy Minister, Datuk Rosey Yunus, KPWK Permanent Secretary, Datu Felicia Tan Ya Hua, Sarawak Social Welfare Department Director, Semawi Mohamad, SeDidik Sdn. Bhd. General Manager, Ayud Dahari, and General Manager of the One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC), Dato Saadiah Abdul Samat. -UKASnews