31/05/2025

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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Autism still misunderstood despite growing awareness

Tiger captured in Perak village after livestock attacks IPOH: The Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks successfully laid a trap for a tiger in Kampung Perlop 1, Sungai Siput, on Thursday. Its director Yusoff Shariff said the male tiger, weighing 90kg and estimated to be nearly two years old, was caught at about 3am in a trap set about 700m from the village settlement. “A villager informed us at about 8am that the tiger had been trapped. With its capture, the villagers’ concerns have eased, allowing them to resume their daily tasks and activities,” he told Bernama when contacted. Residents of Kampung Perlop 1 and surrounding areas had been living in fear since early last year after the predator was seen roaming nearby and attacking livestock. Yusoff said the tiger is in good health and will be transferred to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai, Perak, where it will be used for breeding purposes to help address the declining population of the species. He added that the department does not rule out the presence of other tigers in the area, including in the Korbu Forest Reserve, and warned that similar threats may recur due to the village’s proximity to the forest and the natural roaming behaviour of tigers in search of food. “We are grateful for the villagers’ cooperation, which led to the successful capture of the tiger, believed to have devoured nine of their livestock since last year,” he said. Kelantan sees spike in diabetes, cholesterol rates KOTA BHARU: Cases of diabetes and high cholesterol in Kelantan have recorded an increase exceeding the national average, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Highlighting the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, he said 16.3% of people in Kelantan were found to have diabetes – a 0.7% increase above the national average of 15.6%. “High cholesterol levels have also risen among Kelantan residents, reaching 34.9% compared with the national average of 33.3%,” he said at the Kelantan Wellness Hub Open Day in Pengkalan Chepa yesterday. The event was also attended by State Health Director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin. Dzulkefly noted that 51.6% of the Kelantan population is categorised as overweight or obese, slightly lower than the national figure of 54.4%. However, the state recorded a significantly higher rate of high blood pressure at 27.9%, compared with the national average of 9.2%. He described the findings for Kelantan in NHMS 2023 as concerning, despite the state showing better outcomes in some indicators compared with national levels. “To address this, the ministry has introduced and implemented the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat as a platform to promote and cultivate a healthy lifestyle,” he said. – Bernama

communities, rural, indigenous and urban poor areas. He also advocated family centred care and universal design in learning, moving away from deficit based models. Among the practical barriers faced by families, Amar pointed out a lack of routine developmental screening for children aged two to six and the limited availability of early intervention services, especially for marginalised groups such as rural, indigenous, migrant and stateless families. He added that a key issue is the lack of consultation with autistic individuals by organisations and government bodies. “The motto ‘nothing about us without us’ demands that autistic people be included in leadership and policy discussions. Inclusion starts with listening,” he said. Amar also noted that autistic individuals who belong to other marginalised communities face compounded barriers and are even more likely to be excluded. “We need policy shifts that take a rights-based approach. Not charity, not pity, but rights. “Autistic people should be at the centre of discussions about policies that affect them.” including

functioning,’ and terms such as ‘mild,’ ‘moderate’ or ‘severe,’” he said, adding that autistic people are as diverse as any other group. Amar emphasised that proper language upholds dignity and celebrates diversity, avoiding harmful stereotypes. He said one of the largest gaps in Malaysia’s approach is early intervention. Highlighting international figures, Amar said at least 10% to 15% of children have developmental disabilities, yet many are only identified when they enter school, often too late for effective support. He stressed that early screening and intervention can significantly improve inclusion, reduce reliance on special education and enhance long-term outcomes, including employability and independence. An effective early intervention programme includes inclusive kindergarten placements with small teacher-to-child ratios, personalised education plans, communication therapy, social skills development and behaviour support from trained professionals. Amar called for a shift from NGO or privately led services to government funded, mainstream provisions accessible across all

o Expert urges early intervention, respectful language and rights-based policies to improve inclusion in Malaysia

Ű BY T. C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

53,323 in 2023. Amar said although more Malaysians are familiar with the term autism today, many still mistakenly view it as a disease that needs to be cured. “Autism is not a medical condition, illness or disease. An autistic person is someone whose brain works differently from others. We often use the term ‘neurodivergent,’” he explained. He highlighted that stereotypical portrayals in the media have shaped public perceptions of autistic individuals and stressed the importance of respectful language. “We prefer (them) being called ‘persons with disabilities’ or ‘disabled,’ rather than ‘differently abled’ or ‘special needs.’ For autism, use ‘person with autism,’ ‘autistic person’ if that is the individual’s preference, ‘neurodiverse person’ or ‘person on the autism spectrum.’ “Avoid labels such as ‘low-functioning’ or ‘high

KUALA KRAI: A catfish farming project spearheaded by the Federal Village Development and Security Committee (FVDSC) of Kampung Kuala Pertang is gaining strong market traction, highlighting the potential of rural communities to generate new grassroots economic opportunities. Implemented under the Sejahtera Komuniti Madani initiative, the aquaculture project not only provides an additional income source for villagers but also has the potential to serve as a foundation for more structured micro-enterprise development in future. Kampung Kuala Pertang FVDSC chairman Adnan Mat Yassin said the project, which began in mid-January with RM100,000 in government funding, saw its first harvest on May 1. “We kicked off the project by releasing 39,000 catfish fry into eight ponds. We began selling the first harvest on May 1, and in just two weeks, sales reached 35kg, generating nearly RM1,000 in income. “Demand keeps rising, not just from locals but also from school canteen operators and restaurants around Kuala Krai. We can barely keep up,” he told Bernama during a recent visit to Kampung Kuala Pertang. Adnan said the catfish is sold at RM8 per kg or RM9 per kg if cleaned. “Right now, our focus is on ensuring the first harvest runs smoothly. From there, we’ll evaluate PETALING JAYA: Autism awareness in Malaysia has improved over the past decade, but persistent misconceptions continue to hinder proper support and inclusion, according to consultant paediatrician and child-disability advocate Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS. He added that the rate of autism has increased in society over the past 30 to 40 years and referred to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which estimates that this year one in every 31 children or 3.2% will have autism. “This increase is partly due to better detection, but also reflects a real rise in the number of persons with autism,” he said. Malaysia has seen a similar trend. According to the Social Welfare Department, the number of

children diagnosed with autism rose over a decade from 6,991 in 2013 to Catfish farming project helps transform rural community

The aquaculture project not only provides an additional income source for villagers but also has the potential to serve as a foundation for more structured micro-enterprise development in future. – BERNAMAPIC

Khalid Mohammad, 54, said he hopes the catfish project continues as its spillover benefits are widely enjoyed by the community. Sejahtera Komuniti Madani is a government initiative aimed at stimulating economic activity at the community level by providing up to RM100,000 in funding to eligible groups. The programme is part of the broader Madani economy framework, which focuses on improving public well-being by raising income floors and strengthening local economies. – Bernama

“Each day, about 11kg of pellet feed are used to support the healthy growth of the catfish. The maintenance isn’t too difficult, we just need to keep the ponds clean and change the water when needed.” Meanwhile, housewife Kartini Ahmad, 52, said the project has made fresh catfish more accessible for local families. “Before this, we had to wait for mobile vendors to come by and catfish wasn’t always available. Now, it’s just 500m from home, fresh and affordable,” she said. Factory worker Mohd Abdul

the potential of expanding the project into a structured small enterprise,” he added, expressing optimism that it could boost the skills of participants and support local economic growth. Assisted by 12 other committee members, Adnan plans to use part of the sales revenue to either increase the number of ponds or start a second breeding cycle in July. Kampung Kuala Pertang head of freshwater fish farming monitoring Baharum Mat Daud said a total of 11 ponds are being used, eight for the main cultivation and three for sorting the fish by size and weight.