PM: Don't be ashamed of having disabled children

IPOH: Parents with disabled children have been advised not to feel ashamed or adopt a could-not-care-less attitude, but instead seek help from the local community rehabilitation centres.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in making this call, said despite the success of such establishments, there were still parents of disabled children who had not approached any of the country's 428 rehabilitation centres.

"Parents should not be ashamed if they have disabled children as it has been proven by experts that they, too, have the potential to become productive individuals who can contribute to society with the proper guidance and training.

"To date, about 14,000 of these special children are being trained, guided and taught living skills so that they can be independent upon reaching adulthood while another 4,500 are being assisted and guided by officials from these centres through house calls."

He said the government had allocated RM218 million under the 2011 Budget for the benefit of the 80,000 disabled people in the country.

"Apart from this, those undergoing rehabilitation programmes at rehabilitation centres are also paid a RM150 monthly allowance."

Najib said this when launching the early intervention campaign to prevent disability among children at Indera Mulia Stadium here yesterday.

The campaign is part of the Semai Bakti programme carried out by the Association for Wives of Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) for the disabled since April 2005.

"Parents must also understand and know the factors which can lead to disabilities among their children.

"For instance, when a child suffers from high fever, the simple act of placing ice packs on the forehead can bring down the fever.

"If it is not treated at the initial stage, the child may suffer from a permanent disability and face a bleak future for the rest of his life. Acquiring knowledge can bring about positive changes in this aspect."

Najib commended the manual on information on early intervention to avoid disabilities among children distributed to the public by Bakti and the Health Ministry.

Bakti president Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said the campaign's main aim was to create awareness among parents that autistic children had the potential to lead normal lives.

"This intervention campaign also aims to prepare these autistic children for formal schooling and train them to be independent.

"With the slogan 'Prevention is easier than curing', we hope this campaign will increase the public's knowledge on the early signs of disabilities among children."

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said being disabled did not mean that one could not succeed in life.

He cited the case of Stephen William Hawking, an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances had made him an academic celebrity despite being severely disabled by a motor neurone disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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