Sign language book eye opener to bigger Sarawakian community — See
KUCHING: The Sarawak Sign Language (SWSL) Book 2019 is an eye opener to the bigger Sarawakian community; hence a milestone for Sarawak’s societal development, says Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.
For all Sarawakians, and Kuchingites in particular, See hopes they will continue the one language that we are all famous for – the language of Kindness.
“For ‘Kindness’ is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see, as the notable author Mark Twain had famously said.
“We want a Sarawakian society where all her children can contribute to her greatness. Nothing, including physical difficulties or impairments, can be an obstacle. The deaf culture is what we should now embrace, learn to understand and share their culture for a greater Sarawakian community,” said See when speaking at the launching of the publication of the firstever Sarawak Sign Language
Book at the Sarawak Society for the Deaf (SSD) here, Friday.
The main funding support for this project was Sarawak Timber
Association (STA) and additional funding support was provided by SSD.
See, who is the special officer (Sarawak) to Ministry of Works, also said with the SWSL Book the deaf and those hard of hearing, families and friends could gather and share the awareness of Sarawak sign language and deaf culture.
He added although sign language is used primarily by the deaf and people hard of hearing, it is also a form of communication by hearing individuals, such as those unable to physically speak, those who have trouble with spoken language due to a disability or condition, or those with deaf family members.
“If we don’t have a voice or a tongue, and want to express things to one another, wouldn’t we try to make signs by moving our hands, head and the rest of our body, just as deaf people do at present, and facilitate transfer of words from spoken languages to sign languages?
“As a minority group in our society, they have their community and culture, and can actually take pride in their deaf identity,” he said.
Meanwhile, president of Sarawak Deaf Sports Association and treasurer of Asean Deaf Sports
Federation, Albert Wong, said the book is suitable as a reference for strengthening the basic literacy of communication among deaf communities in Sarawak.
The book, he added, includes 220 signs which were selected from over 1,000 signs collected and tested during the research stage of the project.
At the moment, 100 copies of this book in Bahasa Malaysia and English have been produced, and they will be distributed to special needs in Kota Samarahan, Sibu and Miri and three integrated secondary schools - SMK Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor, Stampin; SMK Rosli Dobi in Sibu and SMK Permaisuri in Miri.
“This book will help to expand the vocabulary of deaf citizens in Sarawak, in various fields of science and daily life, and enable them to enhance their skills and confidence to communicate in the native language of deaf citizens in Sarawak,” Wong said and hoped Sarawakians would fully benefit from the SWSL.