ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 25 — The Johor government will embark on a campaign to register the number of disabled people in the state next year, especially children.

The state Social Welfare Department (JKM) currently has 68,120 in its database.

“The move is not only meant to increase registration, but to also detect those who have not been registered so that appropriate assistance can be channeled to them,” state executive councillor Zaiton Ismail said in the legislative assembly today, in reply to Sri Medan assemblyman Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan.

Zaiton chairs the state Women, Family and Community Development Committee.

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Zulkurnain had earlier asked about the latest number of disabled people in Johor, as well as the state government's plans to assist them.

Zaiton said the majority of the 68,120 registered people are those with physical disabilities.

“The highest of which are physical (24,268), learning (23,892) and mental (6,498).

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“Those with visual impairment and disabilities make up 5,450 people, hearing (4,428 ), speech (373) while 3,208 others have various other forms of disabilities,” she listed.

The Sungai Balang assemblyman added that the state government will promote a disability registration application online through the MyDaftar OKU programme to facilitate the process.

She said this was made for those with obvious disabilities, apart from complying with the standard operating procedures.

“The OKU Development Department with the Putrajaya and Johor JKM are also improving their operational guidelines to strengthen the various community rehabilitation programme’s management.

“The guidelines cover training and rehabilitation that are given to children with disabilities who undergo rehabilitation at the community rehabilitation programme,” she said, adding that the rehabilitation programmes for trainees will also be strengthened in accordance with the new norms and SOPs for prevention and control of Covid-19.