KUCHING: A centre for children with special needs will be built starting this year with a total cost of RM4 million, said Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The proposal of the centre has been approved in the last Cabinet meeting, she told reporters in a press conference here, yesterday.
“The centre will be equipped with a diagnosis test place which can help parents to identify if their child has any special needs and to what extent,” she added.
Fatimah then pointed out that the centre is also one of the initiatives taken by her ministry to help bring down the number of cases regarding children being faced with such issues, especially in the early stages of childhood development.
“We are preparing them the best way we can and providing them with treatment before they start their formal education through primary school,” she said.
Fatimah also mentioned that it is to help those parents who previously were willing to spend thousands to find treatment for their child.
Besides that, the minister also revealed that the number of children with autism is increasing not only in the state, but around the world.
“This is also part of a community service responsibility (CSR) programme under Petronas and we will work together with them to look after the welfare of these children,” she said.
Meanwhile, Fatimah said they have identified a location for the centre and construction is expected to commence as soon as possible by this year.
