(from right) Dr Toh, Soon and Fatimah pose with the members of Agape Centre here today.
SIBU (Dec 2): The Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, praised the role played by Sibu’s Agape Centre in providing facilities and training to people with special needs in the central area of Sarawak.
According to Fatimah, the Agape Centre has become a good model to be implemented in similar community centres, such as the Special Need Community Centre (SNCC) in Kuching and Miri.
“The Agape Centre is a good example of what non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are doing in providing training and facilities to people with special needs in the central area, such as access to therapy and diagnosis at the clinics provided.
“Previously, those from Dalat, Matu, and Igan would come to the Agape Centre in Sibu to use the facilities.
“The government saw the excellent model demonstrated by the centre and wanted to implement it elsewhere to provide access to such facilities for parents who have children with special needs,” she said at a press conference at the Agape Centre in Sibu after holding the Sarawak Special Olympics annual general meeting at the centre here today.
Fatimah, who is also Dalat assemblyman, said that the role played by the Agape Centre has made the public aware of individuals with special needs, such as those who are categorised as autistic, dyslexic, or speech-delayed.
“At the same time, the public, especially parents, also has a place where they can get help or early intervention. Our advice to parents is to bring their children to get an assessment early. As parents and members of society, we need to support these parents and children,” she explained.
“We want to provide access to parents who have children with special needs so that they feel that there is a support system for their children. It is not easy to raise children with special needs.
“We don’t just make sure these children get early intervention, therapy, education, and vocational training; we also need to give support to the parents, who sometimes need to be given counselling,” she added.
Fatimah also said that the Agape Centre plays a role in empowering individuals with special needs with skills that will help them to live independently.
“We know each of these individuals has potential in a certain field, and it is up to us to explore and develop their strengths. This opportunity is provided at the Agape Centre. We see that they can be independent and generate their own income. This is what we want to happen to this special group so that they can live with dignity,” she said.
Touching on SNCC, Fatimah said the government had approved RM5 million in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for the initial construction of the community centre in Kuching-Samarahan.
“The government has agreed for us to use the land at the Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre. In this complex, all the necessities needed by every individual with special needs will be provided,” she said, adding that the value of the project scheme is RM55 million.
Also present were Special Olympics Sarawak vice president Pemanca Datuk Jason Tai, Methodist Care Centre chairman Soon Kong Tiong, and Special Olympics clinical director Dr Toh Teck Hock.
