Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) plans to relocate the Selayang GiatMara Centre following the Selangor government’s order for it to vacate the land by year-end.

Its director-general, Ibrahim Ahmad, said preferable Mara would like to stay put by purchasing, leasing or gazetting the land, but since it was given one year to move out, Mara would rather relocate it.

“We will find a suitable site to relocate the centre,” he told reporters after attending the Maulidur Rasul celebration at the Mara headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Gombak Land and District Office had reportedly written to the Selayang GiatMara Centre on Dec 2 last year, stating the Selangor state executive council wanted the centre to vacate the land by Dec 10 this year.

However, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state government was willing to reconsider its decision to close down the Selayang GiatMara centre if the management agreed to improve its existing facilities and operations.

Ibrahim said 86 GiatMara centres nationwide occupied sites and premises owned by Mara while 145 others took up rented premises or abandoned sites.

“GiatMara provides technical and vocational training to the community, especially young people to acquire skills and semi-skills needed for the country’s development,” he said.

Set up in 1994, the Selayang GiatMara Centre offers electrical wiring certificate courses.

- Bernama