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Aiming to improve children’s water safety skills, Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) is to offer free swimming lessons to the children of families in low-income bracket.

After an initial pilot program in May, the program of swimming lessons was offered under a basic sports skill training program, otherwise known as KLAS Renang, which the Ministry said had received encouraging response.

In a statement released earlier this month, KBS advised “the KBS is also drafting a KLAS Renang pilot project to be expanded to persons with disabilities (OKU), senior citizens and children aged less than six years old, which is expected to start in July

“KBS hopes that KLAS Renang will continue to receive response and participation from B40 families and achieve KBS's main objective in reducing the rate of deaths due to drowning among children.”

Malay Mail previously reported its Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh saying that selection for participation in the program was based on districts with the highest rate of death by drowning.

KBS had identified 18 districts of concern in Kuala Lumpur and seven states: Selangor, Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, Kedah, Johor and Pahang.

The classes are being delivered by the National Youth and Sports Department with the support of the Malaysia Swimmers and Swimming Coaches Association.

Financial services firm Allianz Malaysia Berhad and food giant Nestle Products Sdn Bhd are the Ministry’s strategic partners.

Image: Hannah Yeoh, Malaysia's Minister for Youth and Sports Ministry (in striped top), takes a look at one of the KBS lessons. Credit: Malaysian Youth and Sports Ministry.

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