SANDAKAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said the government had never neglected the need of people with disabilities in this state.
He said the government had built a new complex called Taman Cahaya Training Centre for the blind, costing RM6 million.
The centre provides comfortable and conducive environment for blind trainees.
“The construction of this centre shows people with disabilities are not neglected in our development. Thus, I believe this centre would continue to be a platform for trainees to equip themselves with various skills.
“Therefore, a conducive environment is important for trainees as they may also be able to contribute to society through handicraft or reflexology,” Musa said at the launch of the centre in Pekan Muhibbah,yesterday.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing cum Gum-Gum assemblyman, Datuk Zakaria Haji Mohd Edris; Member of Parliament for Libaran, Datuk Juslie Ajirol; Sandakan Municipal Council President, Datuk Ir. James Wong; and manager of Taman Cahaya Complex, Haji Ibrahim Abdul Hamid.
The Sabah Society for the Blind was set up in 1966. However, work for the blind in Sabah started around 1962 with the setting up of the first training centre for the blind based in Tuaran known as the Wallace Training Centre.
It was initiated by the North Borneo Red Cross Society and the Jesselton Rotary Club.
In 1971, training activities at the Wallace Training Centre were shifted to Sungai Manila, Sandakan which was later known as Taman Cahaya Training Centre for the Blind.
According to Haji Ibrahim, some 800 blind people were trained at the centre and 80 per cent of them managed to live independently.
The centre has been offering learning skills such as handicraft, reflexology, computer and Braille class.
The new complex for the centre was completed in 2010. The centre was equipped with a mini hall, a hostel, staff quarters and a library.
Meanwhile, Musa also visited the development at Pekan Muhibbah with several oncoming projects expected to be implemented in the future.
Apart from Taman Cahaya Training Centre, the Pekan Muhibbah will soon have a bus terminal, a secondary school, a market, a police station and 500 units of People Housing Project.