By Soo Wern Jun || Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — On a busy day, Norlina Ibrahim, who juggles two jobs, would have to ask a neighbour to watch her two toddlers while she worked extra hours.
That will have to do as she cannot afford to fork out RM1,200 for each toddler at a childcare centre, on top of having to deal with logistics.
“That’s how it is here (at the People’s Housing Programme or PPR),” Norlina said when contacted by Malay Mail.
So when the government announced an expanded tax relief for childcare expenses under Budget 2026, while it was welcomed as a step toward easing the rising cost of early childhood care, many low-income parents across the Klang Valley were quietly asking this: “Tax relief? There is such a thing?”
“I heard about it, but I know that I’m not eligible for the rebate.
“So for many of us working mothers here, we only have our neighbours next door or from the other block,” Norlina said.
For families in the bottom 40 income group — many of whom earn less than RM2,500 a month and do not qualify to pay income tax — the relief does not change their monthly reality.
Childcare fees must still be paid upfront, and only families who earn enough to file and pay income tax can claim the rebates later.
Norhaniza Johari, a homemaker who lives in PPR Desa Tun Razak, said she wishes the government could intervene by setting up childcare centres in low-cost flats, especially the PPRs.
Addressing the problem
“That has crossed our minds here. But we don’t know where or how to start.
“I’ve spoken to the mothers here, and if there were training programmes for mothers to work as care providers at a childcare facility, they are willing to undergo training and be hired to work in a childcare centre.
“The only problem for us now is that we don’t have access to these training programmes and we can’t afford to set up our own centre,” Haniza said.
Agreeing with this, Arbaayah Awang, a full-time babysitter, said many mothers in the PPR where she lives are willing to be trained.
“Because as babysitters, the number of children we can take in is limited.
“To take in more than five children, the government requires us to be certified.
“So if at all the government is organising such training programmes, I’m willing to take it up,” she said.
Suriyana Ali, a mother of three, said apart from the lack of such programmes, even if they were available, it is almost impossible to enrol in them.
“I’m already juggling three jobs; where do I find time to travel an hour away from home to attend these programmes?
“We’re not being demanding, but it would help if these programmes were brought nearer to us.
“I can barely support my family with what I make from three jobs; I definitely cannot fork out anything extra for additional spending,” she said.
Under Budget 2026, Putrajaya proposed expanding childcare tax relief to cover children up to age 12 in registered childcare and transit centres — a move aimed at boosting women’s workforce participation.
“Don’t talk about tax rebates when I’m not even qualified to pay tax, and many more out there are like me.
“Tax relief also means that you need to make payment first and then claim the rebate later.
“It does not apply to the lower-income group as they do not make enough to set aside for daycare. We can barely put food on the table,” Suriyana said.
Unlicensed versus licensed
Even taxpayers like Joseline Yap, who works as an accountant, said her family is not benefitting from the tax rebate.
After shopping around for several months, Yap said she decided to settle for a babysitter instead of sending her child to a licensed centre due to issues of distance, hygiene and safety concerns.
“There aren’t many choices to begin with, and at centres, there is the fear of hygiene issues and lack of attention given to each child.
“If there are 20 toddlers to four care providers, this isn’t sufficient. Some children will be neglected.
“But for me, it’s the hygiene issue. With a babysitter, I can inspect cleanliness, but for centres I can’t make demands,” she said.
Similarly, Elena Ahmad, a marketing manager, said she could not afford to send all three of her children to daycare due to the high cost she has to bear per child.
“It’s about RM1,500 now per child, which means I have to pay upfront RM4,500 each month, excluding extra hours.
“After much consideration, I’ve decided that all three go to a babysitter in the neighbourhood,” she said.
This lack of access is growing. According to recent Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) data, childcare centres in Kuala Lumpur dropped from 218 to 193 last year — an 11 per cent decline — even as demand rose.
As part of efforts to address the shortage of childcare centres, the Education Ministry said in August that it is drafting a law on early childhood education and standardising a national preschool curriculum aimed at improving quality and access.
The ministry said it aims to ensure “no child, especially from bottom 40 households, is left behind”.
But for families like Norlina and Suriyana, the question is not whether tax relief is helpful — it is whether it is helpful to them.
“Until financial assistance is designed around the way families like us in the B40 actually earn, spend and access childcare, the relief is little more than a policy headline. We’re on our own.
“I don’t need a rebate at the end of the year.
“I need help every month,” Suriyana said.
Source: tax-relief-there-is-such-a-thing-b40-mums-say-childcare-aid-misses-the-mark
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