Fatimah (third right) flagging off the baton run. — Photos by Muhd Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The baton run for the 2016 Malaysian Sports for the Deaf (Sopma) was flagged off at MBKS building here by Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah at 6pm on Saturday.
Fatimah commended the organising committee for hosting Sopma in Sarawak this year.
“The organising committee’s commitment, purposefulness and enthusiasm deserve our help and support.
“Through my ministry, I will put forward their request for financing to the State Cabinet so they can be a role model and the best hosting state for Sopma,” she said.
Fatimah noted that it was always inspiring when events organised for the disabled received tremendous support from the Sarawakian public.
“In the world of the deaf there is only silence. Our numbers makes a lot of difference to the deaf. Sopma can bring together the deaf and the non-deaf in the community.
“Inclusiveness is important for community wellbeing,” she stressed.
Sarawak is playing host to Sopma for the third time from Sept 30 to Oct 7. The national-level games, held every two years, was inaugurated twenty years ago.
Also present at Saturday’s event were Malaysian Society for the Deaf president Kamarzaman Harun, Sarawak Society for the Deaf president Albert Wong, Welfare and Community Wellbeing Assistant Minister Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Kuching City South Mayor Dato James Chan.
More than 1,000 participants took part in the five-kilometre run.