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Fatimah (third left) witnesses the handing-over of a mock cheque from Chong (second left) and Alexander (fifth left) to Dr Tang (second right).

KUCHING (June 13): The Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development will be engaging sign language interpreters at their events to make them more accessible for the deaf community, its minister said.

Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said this is one of the state government’s efforts to ensure that there is inclusivity in our society.

“For our ministry, in any event that we are organising, we will make sure to get a representative from the deaf association to use sign language so that whatever transpired from the particular function, the deaf community would be able to learn what the event was about.

“We will not be a developed state if there are some in our community who feel that they are being sidelined,” she said when officiating at the Sarawak Hearing & Aural Rehabilitation Society (Sarawak HEAR) Hearing Ear Nose Throat Screening and Health Carnival 2022 at Farley Mall here yesterday.

She also said that pre-schoolers at SeDidik centres in Sarawak will kick start their sign language education by learning how to sign the national and state anthems.

“They will learn how to ‘sing’ both anthems using sign language.

“This is our way of showing support to the deaf community by encouraging the people to learn sign language and to do so, we will start with our children at SeDidik, an early childhood education and care institution under the ministry,” she said.

Fatimah, at a press conference earlier this year, had announced that all SeDidik centres have been given the directive to teach sign language starting from the preschool level this year.

On a related matter, Fatimah said her ministry had approved financial assistance for eight cochlear implants and one auditory brainstem implant for six young recipients with an approved allocation of RM535,000 as of June 2022.

“We are also very glad to hear that the children who have undergone the surgeries have shown tremendous improvement and very encouraging progress.

“They have responded well to sounds, start to vocalise, produce vowels and continually undergo scheduled hearing follow-ups and speech rehabilitation at their respective localities,” she said.

She said the implants have changed the lives of the young recipients and their parents.

“It is life-changing not only for the child but for the whole society. You never know what these children can do and give back to our society in the future,” she added.

During the event, Fatimah witnessed the handing-over of a mock cheque for RM99,400 from Hearlife Centre (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd) managing director and Sarawak HEAR vice president Alexander Stephen and Swiss Medicare Sdn Bhd director Vincent Chong to Sarawak HEAR president Prof Dr Tang Ing Ping.

The donation was a joint sponsorship …….

Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2022/06/13/ministry-to-engage-sign-language-interpreters-in-events/