DAMAI: Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre (PPS) will be rebranded as a Special Needs Excellence Centre.
Women, Childhood and Community Well-being Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said apart from keeping up with times, the renaming was also done with a new spirit to transform the rehabilitation centre.
“We want to apply excellence not only in terms of vocational training in an effort to generate income and increase the marketability of the disabled group but also want to increase their potential and focus on their interests and talents, including sports.
“Our state athletes have been the champion at the Para-Malaysia Games (Sukma) for 13 times,” she said at the closing of the PPS Disabled Direction Workshop at Damai Beach Resort here, on Wednesday (Jan 26).
Elaborating, she said by making these changes, the centre should be inclusive and not discriminate in accepting trainees according to the suitability of the situation.
“They should provide skills training to all people with disabilities including the visually impaired.
“However, for the mentally handicapped, they need treatment from a specialist, and this (given training to them) may be possible in the future,” she explained.
She added for admission requirements, candidates must be registered with the Social Welfare Department, be 14 to 35 years of age, have no infectious diseases, can take care of themselves and also literate.
At the same time, Fatimah suggested the centre offer various new courses that are relevant to the current situation.
“To transform this centre, apart from being flexible and dynamic to be relevant to our clients (the disabled), the existing courses must also be improved.
“This includes offering new and improved courses such as in sewing, electronics, electrical wiring, information technology (ICT), marketing, hairdressing, make-up, graphic arts, aquaculture, massage and spa, bakery and others.
“These changes are important so that we can produce trainees who are competitive in the market, able to generate income, of quality as well as able to help generate the country’s economy,” she pointed out.
A total of 25 disabled enrolled in the centre this year where six of them took up sewing, 12 (electronics) and seven (computer), compared to only 11 trainees last year.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Community Well-being Development Mohd Razi Sitam and state Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad.
