MALACCA: A total of 275 girls from across the nation have enrolled into Sekolah Harapan, a school for pregnant teens in Jasin near here, since its inception five years ago.
State Women, Family Development and Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Latipah Omar (Barisan Nasional-Taboh Naning) said 274 of them were Malays and only one was Chinese.
"The school inmates have given birth to 261 babies from 2010 up to this year," she said in reply to a question from Datuk Amiruddin Yusof (BN-Ayer Limau) at the state legislative assembly sitting here yesterday.
Amiruddin had wanted to know the total number of occupants at the school according to race from 2010 to now.
Latipah said of the 261 babies, 28 were taken by foster families while another 232 babies were being cared by their close relatives.
She said another baby had died after being born in 2011.
"In addition to the care given before and after giving birth, the girls were given religious education and learn a variety of skills such as sewing and cooking during their stay there," she said adding that the teens had got a second chance to start a new life after the expiration of their stay at the school.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang) said the state government has no plan to relocate the Malacca Zoo in Ayer Keroh to another location.
He said the zoo which was built in 1963, the same year with the National Zoo, has significant historical value that need to be preserved.
"Furthermore, currently there are only two states that have a zoo that can be recognized, namely Selangor and Malacca," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Goh Leong San (DAP-Duyong), who wanted to know whether the state government has any plan to relocate the zoo to make way for new development project in that area.
To an original question by Goh who wanted to know who owns the zoo and its current market value, Idris said the Malacca Zoo was owned by the state and the zoo has an estimated value of RM9.1 million based on report by the state Valuation Department.
He however said there was no plan to sell the zoo to other quarters.
The state legislative assembly sitting adjourned sine die after sitting for four days since last Monday.
Ends.