‘Welfare Dept, Penyayang will always strive to help OKUs towards self-reliance’
LAWAS: The Welfare Department and the Parents’ Association of Children with Special Needs ( Penyayang) will always strive to help special needs children (OKUs) look for opportunities so that they can learn to be self-reliant.
Association of Wives of State Ministers, Assistant Ministers and State Assemblyman (Sabati) deputy chairman and patron of Lawas Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre ( PPDK), Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud said Penyayang should be at the forefront in helping parents who faced big challenge in raising their special needs children.
“The meeting between parents under Penyayang is important to better understanding the needs of families with these children,” she said at the Sentuhan Kasih Bersama Sabati programme at PPDK Lawas here yesterday.
Dayang Morliah who is the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan also urged parents to send their special needs children to PPDK so that their full potential on the journey to be self-reliant can be maximised.
“Parents of these children should not be easily disappointed or feel despair. Love them in your special way and surely they will reciprocate,” she said.
She urged PPDK Lawas to continuously improve its services for the target group.
Commenting on the programme, Dayang Morliah said it was one of its community outreach programmes headed by Sabati president and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang.
Sabati later donated RM5,000 for special needs children at PPDK Lawas, SMK Lawas and SK Pusat Lawas.
She added 57 PPDKs in Sarawak received annual assistance from Sarawak government and Sabati.
Also present were Limbang Division welfare officer Haslinda Supu, Lawas Perkim (Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam) deputy chairman Aisyah Bahar and SMK Lawas principal Sawal Pandin.