Senate: Efforts to develop PwD should be well-established, sustainable

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 -- The 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) should take into account the physical, emotional and spiritual elements of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to ensure that efforts to develop the group are well-established and sustainable.

Senator Dr Wan Martina Wan Yusoff said with its OKU Muqarrabun policy, Kelantan had proven that development efforts that incorporated the elements of ‘fitrah’ (creation) could lead to positive outcomes.

"Strengthening the identity of the PwD should be followed by the understanding and willingness of the community to accept and acknowledge the diversity, capabilities and potential that must be nurtured in a disabled person.

"All this is included in the implementation of the OKU Muqarrabun policy since 2017 in Kelantan," she said during the debate session on 12MP at the Dewan Negara today.

Apart from that, Wan Martina said the government should also focus on the reproductive concerns involving disabled teenagers, especially those related to mental health.

"PwD should also be given family planning education, (because) there are cases where disabled parents are raising two to three disabled children. This of course burdens the family, especially parents who do not have a job or a fixed source of income," she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Nuridah Mohd Salleh said educators in special education schools should be exposed to the teaching and learning methods using technology that enables children with disabilities to learn main basic skills.

She said the government should provide access to quality education for this group to allow them to hone their skills and discover their special abilities so that they can be independent and continue with their lives.

She also suggested a collaboration should be formed between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to track down and train disabled students who have certain abilities or skills so that they can contribute to the country.

-- BERNAMA