KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak Government has approved RM30 million under the 13th Malaysia Plan to expand the Special Needs Community Centre (SNCC) into a lifelong support hub for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the upgraded centre will provide integrated services ranging from early intervention for young children to vocational training and future residential care for PWDs without guardians or family support.
“The ultimate objective of this complex is to secure a dignified existence for our special needs community.
“We aim to equip them with appropriate education, vocational training, and necessary life skills to enable sustainable income generation,” she said during a press conference held during her official working visit to the Samarahan Rehabilitation Centre today.
A key component of the project is the establishment of a One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC), which will provide assessment, diagnosis and intervention services for children below the age of seven before they enter formal primary education.
Fatimah said the facility is expected to complement existing services and cater to growing demand from families in Samarahan and nearby areas.
For youths and adults with disabilities, the complex will offer flexible modular vocational training programmes aimed at improving employability and supporting independent living.
“As an initial phase, the modular certificate courses will focus on information technology, tailoring, pastry-making, culinary arts, and arts and crafts.
“The infrastructure is designed to be flexible, allowing new courses and training programmes to be introduced based on future needs,” she added.
The upgraded SNCC will also include a central administration block, vocational training facilities, a hydrotherapy pool, and hostel accommodation for trainees from outside Kuching and Samarahan.
Fatimah said the centre will support sports development among PwDs through basic training facilities, building on Sarawak’s success in para sports, including its 14 Para SUKMA Malaysia championship titles.
She added that upskilling and reskilling programmes would also be available, including opportunities for retired para athletes to transition into coaching and other careers.
The project is scheduled to enter the tendering phase in July, with evaluations and the issuance of the Letter of Award (LOA) targeted for completion by November 2026.
Construction is slated for a 20-month duration, with full commissioning anticipated by May 2028.
Concurrently, additional extensions including an institutional surau, localised track and field amenities, staff residential quarters, a product exhibition gallery, and the long-term residential facility for orphaned PwD individuals will be developed under Phase 2 of the master plan.
