Special Olympics Sarawak State Games postponed to early 2025, says Fatimah

SIBU (Aug 3): This year’s Special Olympics Sarawak State Games, scheduled to be held in Miri this November, will be postponed until early 2025, said Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

She said this is in view of Sarawak hosting the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) and Para Sukma this year.

“If we were to organise Special Olympics Sarawak State Games this year, the date would be too close – August for Sukma, September for Para Sukma, and October everybody would have to rest.

“Then November is our DUN (State Legislative Assembly) sitting. Because of that, as the chairperson of the Special Olympics Sarawak State Games, I’ve decided that the Games be postponed until early next year,” she told a press conference today after officiating at the Healthy Athletes Programme (AHP) and Let’s Play Together event at Agape Centre today.

She said although the Games have been postponed, the HAP would continue to ensure that the young para athletes get the needed health checks.

She said the HAP highlights six disciplines – FitFeet, FunFitness, Healthy Hearing, MedFest, Opening Eyes and Special Smiles.

She said each discipline is designed to address specific health concerns and promote overall well-being by 10 Special Olympics Malaysia (SOM) certified Clinical Directors in Sarawak, supported by 66 healthcare professionals from government and private sectors who serve as volunteers, with 33 medical students of SEGi University.

“Today, we can see that it benefits our young athletes. Parents bring their children to get the screening that their children need. For example, one of them was only 18 years old and already has hypertension. So this programme is very important for them,” she said.

Fatimah also believed that the medical professionals also benefited from the programme through sharing knowledge and interaction with one another.

Meanwhile, Special Olympics Global Medical Advisory committee member cum Asia Pacific Regional Clinical Advisor (Health Promotion) Professor Dr Toh Teck Hock said about 200 children went for HAP health screening today.

He revealed that out of that, about 20 per cent of the children needed new sunglasses, about 70 per cent needed dental attention, many required to undergo earwax removal, treatment for hypertension, and between 40 per cent and 50 per cent are overweight.

Present at the press conference were Divisional Health Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun, Special Olympics Malaysia National director Jacque Kok Lee Min, Special Olympics Sibu Pemanca Datuk Jason Tai, Bintulu Hospital director Dr Suzalina Sulaiman, Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong Siew Yu, Association for Children with Special Needs Sibu president Dato Janet Lau Ung Hie, Sibu Methodist Care Centre chairman Soon Kong Tiong, and Sibu Autistic Association president David Ngu Tai Giin.