Fatimah (left) presents food aid to one of the visually-impaired recipients, as Chin guides him. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The decision to allow the blind to operate their massage centres would only be known after the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had met on the matter, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
Although unable to confirm when the meeting would be held, the Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development said it would be done upon request by the committee’s secretariat.
“For this decision, we need to consider assisting them (blind masseurs) in terms of economy, at the same time we have the responsibility to ensure that they are safe. We also need to ensure that their clients seeking their services at their massage centres follow the standard operating procedure (SOP).
“In terms of their work, massaging involves (physical) contact.
“Since these blind masseurs cannot see, they will not know whether their clients follow the SOP.
“This is a concern because we do not want a new (Covid-19) cluster formed involving the masseurs,” Fatimah said this after presenting food assistance to blind individuals at the Youth and Sports Complex here yesterday.
She revealed that she was made known of this issue via a letter sent by Society for the Blind Malaysia (Sarawak Branch) chairman Isak Ngau, who also sent the same letter to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk
Amar Douglas Uggah, who is SDMC chairman, and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.
On another note, Fatimah said one of the main concerns for the blind operating massage centres was the monthly rents for their shops.
As such, she called upon owners of premises to consider waiving the rents as the masseurs currently are not allowed to operate.
On the event yesterday, Fatimah along with Sarawak Women and Family Council member Raja Noor Akmar Raja Kamil presented food aid to visually impaired persons present at the ceremony.
The minister said as at yesterday, a total of 86 visually impaired persons had received the aid.
“We not only provide assistance to those who are visually impaired, but also to the disabled individuals who are affected in terms of their income.
“With this aid, at least they can put food on their table.
“They also receive monthly allowances from the Welfare Department Sarawak such as the disabled allowance of RM400, and the RM350 allowance for unemployed disabled persons from the federal government.
“For Para Sukma athletes, they are also given training allowances even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Although the training methods are different, rest assured that they can continue their training,” Fatimah added.
Also present at the ceremony was the ministry’s Disabled Persons Development Unit assistant secretary Matthew Chin.