Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir recently announced that the early education programme PERMATA Negara will be retained, however it will be placed under the Ministry of Education. PERMATA Negara is one out of many programmes under PERMATA banner aimed at creating education opportunities for children. PERMATA is credited as the brainchild of Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor, who also acts as its patron. We speak to Tan Sri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Shahabudin, senior consultant for the PERMATA Programme to get more clarity on it.