36,780 registered as disabled people in S’wak — Fatimah
MIRI: Sarawak registered 36,780 disabled people as at December last year, out of which 2,422 were registered with Community Rehabilitation Centre ( PDK) and 776 receiving home visits by PDK supervisors.
This was revealed by Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah at the opening of the new building of Parents Association of Special Children ( Pibakis) by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud here yesterday.
Fatimah was representing Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg at the event.
According to Fatimah, 3,225 disabled people were registered last year and currently, there are 63 special needs children in pre- schools, 2,428 special needs children in primary schools and 1,493 special needs children in secondary schools.
“We will pursue to have our vocational school for the special needs children in East Malaysia, to cater for those in Sabah and Sarawak finishing their secondary school.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Pibakis for being able to establish a sector on one acre land that was given by TYT Tun (Taib) when he was our chief minister and I must say this is the biggest premises for PDK that I have ever seen in Sarawak.”
Fatimah congratulated Pibakis for being able to incorporate the disabled facilities according to their needs.
“We recognise the role of PDK and Pibakis, and because of that the government is incorporating grant for the operation of PDK such as helping to pay the rent, the allowance of the supervisor, monthly allowance for PDK trainees, PDK activities and so on.”
She said there are 49 PDKs in Sarawak — eight operating in their own premises; namely PDK Pibakat Kuching, PDK Division 1 Penrissen Camp, PDK Asajaya, PDK Sri Aman, PDK Pakan, PDK Muhibbah Kanowit, PDK Mukah and Pibakis, while the others either use government quarters or rent a building or residential houses.
“For Miri, there are five PDKs with 540 trainees and those who are not able to attend PDK, the supervisors will do home visits especially for those who are bedridden and those registered will also get monthly assistance.
“PDK is very important because it gives services to all our disabled people such as rehabilitation, speech therapy, literacy skills and living skills,” she said, adding that Pibakis is very committed to improving the facilities and rehabilitation for the disabled people.
She thus urged the public to come together and support their efforts.
Fatimah also said under the Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s administration last year, 17 PDKs received government aid of RM18,000 each to further improve their facilities.
“The government also approved three more positions to help develop PDK services last year, namely speech therapist, physiotherapist and occupational therapist,” she added.