By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 5: Sarawak will develop a RM30 million Special Needs Community Centre (SNCC) in Samarahan under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), marking the State’s first integrated facility dedicated to providing lifelong support for persons with special needs through early intervention, skills training, vocational development and long-term care services.
Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the centre will be built within the grounds of the Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre (PPS) to strengthen Sarawak’s support ecosystem and promote a more inclusive community development framework.
“This complex is designed to support persons with special needs throughout their lives. It begins with the One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC), where children below the age of seven will undergo assessment, diagnosis and early intervention before entering the formal education system. It will then provide skills and vocational training, as well as care facilities for individuals without family support.
“The tender process is scheduled to open in July, followed by evaluation and the issuance of the letter of award in November. Construction is expected to take about 20 months, with completion targeted for May 2028,” she said in a pre-recorded press conference after a project site meeting for the SNCC at the Samarahan Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Centre today.
Fatimah stressed that the centre will not provide formal education, as such services are already offered by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
“Every child has the right to education. Since formal education is already covered by the MOE, there is no need for us to duplicate those services.
“Instead, the SNCC will focus on skills development, vocational training and enhancing the employability of persons with special needs,” she explained.
Among the programmes planned for the initial phase are information technology (IT), sewing, culinary and pastry arts, as well as arts and crafts. The courses will be conducted on a modular basis according to participants’ needs.
The centre will also provide hostel accommodation for participants from outside Kuching and Samarahan, enabling more persons with special needs from across Sarawak to access its services.
Fatimah added that the SNCC will include basic sports development facilities to identify and nurture potential para-athletes, while also providing space for upskilling and reskilling programmes.
“Additional courses can be introduced according to future needs, as the centre has been designed with sufficient flexibility to accommodate new programmes.
“In addition, due to insufficient funding, the surau, basic sports facilities for track and field, staff quarters, and accommodation for persons with special needs without next-of-kin will be developed in the second phase,” she said.
The approved project will comprise an administration block, the OSEIC equipped with therapy rooms, sensory integration rooms and a hydrotherapy pool, vocational training workshops, trainee hostels with a capacity of 64 residents, a briefing hall and a sheltered workshop. — DayakDaily
