Kuala lumpur: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) is focusing on efforts to enhance the early childhood education infrastructure as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) under Budget 2026. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the infrastructure of the Community Development Department's (KEMAS) Pre-Tahfiz Pre-School (Tabika) and for children with autism are being targeted for improvement through Budget 2026.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zahid highlighted that the efforts being concentrated on this year in rural development will continue with a focus on expanding the Pre-Tahfiz KEMAS Tabika. These pre-schools have commenced the memorisation of all 30 juzuk (chapters) of the Quran for children aged three to six, with 125,000 participants involved. The aim is to increase this number to 140,000 by next year.

In addition, Zahid mentioned that KEMAS teaching staff would undergo training to improve their teaching methods. He also announced plans to transform the support for children with autism by establishing pre-schools for them across various states. This year, three such pre-schools were initiated in Melaka, with plans to expand to one in each state next year and one in every district by 2027.

The TVET sector is also set to receive enhancements, particularly under Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and other agencies associated with KKDW. Dialogue sessions with stakeholders have been conducted to strengthen input for Budget 2026.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid spoke about the progress of the Rural Transformation through 42 Game Changer initiatives driven by KKDW, achieving 64 per cent progress thus far. He highlighted projects like the Desa Kirana initiative, which integrates rural areas into tourism, and the Tabika Tunas Istimewa, which provides opportunities for children with autism, alongside the Smart Classroom initiative to ensure rural children keep pace with digital advancements.