KUCHING: The Sarawak Society for the Blind (SSB) is calling on the government to create employments for the blind so that they can lead a meaningful and dignified life and be freed from poverty.
This can be done by empowering the blind economically, such as developing their capabilities in certain skills like massage and reflexology, says its president Dato Dr Hsiung Kwo Yeun.
“While we understand and support the government’s effort to regulate the massage industry through the enactment of laws and regulations, we wish to draw the attention of the government to certain provisions and policies that have inadvertently caused problems to the practising blind masseurs,” he said during closing ceremony of the ‘Entrepreneur Course for the Blind’ at the SSB premises in Jalan Ong Tiang Swee here yesterday.
Deputy Resident of Kuching Division (Development) Zamari Saidi was present to close the course. Dr Hsiung said the imposition of security deposits of RM5,000 on the operators of massage centres posed a great financial burden on blind massage operators because they were all categorised as ‘poorest of the poor’ and live far below the poverty line.
Therefore, he urged local authorities to grant a special waiver to the blind for this purpose and remove any other legal or administrative obstacles to facilitate their access to business licence or permits.
He also called upon the Skills Development Department and the Ministry of Human Resource to consider their request for the granting of ‘Malaysia Skill Certificate, Level 3’ to be awarded to their ex-trainees in the reflexology and massage therapy course.
This was because they were striving to upgrade their training centre to be on par with other vocational centres set up by the government in order to increase employability of the blind and gain proper accreditation of their training programmes.
“In regards to the awarding of the skills certificate level three to our blind trainees, may we also urge the Skills Development Department to waive the registration fee of RM300 each for our ex-trainees as they all came from poor families and could not afford to pay the fee,” he said.
He explained they were the first and only welfare organisation that provided vocational and rehabilitation programmes and facilities for the blind in Sarawak since its inception 52 years ago. Furthermore, they were a Sarawak-based organisation and had been providing rehabilitation service and trainings to the blind throughout the state through its three branches in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
To date, they have trained and rehabilitated more than 2,000 blind and visually impaired persons in various fields and provision of services such as digital literacy, Braille literacy, reflexology and massage therapy course, rehabilitation and independent living skills, handicraft and light industries, the massage business incubator, and job placement and social services.
In Zamari’s closing speech, he said they were ready to assist any non-government organisation that needed help, including promotions and publicity of the blind masseurs’ service through the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Council (MPUB).
He said SSB could also work with Malaysia Corporation Commission to get grant assistance and other benefits.
“You, the massage doctors (blind masseurs) have the skills we will assist you. We are always ready to assist any NGO that need help,” he said.
He said they would provide a space specially for the massage doctors during the regatta in September believing it would be a golden opportunity for them because of the huge number of visitors then.