President Halimah welcomes group from Minds to Istana for CNY event

SINGAPORE - With furrowed brows and a black marker in hand, Mr Ng Thiam Hock neatly wrote his Chinese name on the mandarin orange carrier bag in front of him before showing it to President Halimah Yacob.

It was the first visit to the Istana for the 19-year-old youth who has an intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to move.

He said: "I like this place, it's a very nice place. I would like to come here again next time."

Mr Ng was among the eight beneficiaries and six caregivers from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) who visited the Istana on Thursday (Feb 10).

Aged 19 to 41, the beneficiaries have various conditions such as intellectual disabilities, autism and cerebral palsy. They are part of Minds' Me Too! Club, which aims to provide intellectually disabled people with opportunities to socialise and build relationships.

The event was co-organised by the President's Office and Youth Corps Singapore, which also coordinated Istana garden tours for nursing home residents before the pandemic.

On Thursday, the President chatted with the guests who also decorated mandarin orange carrier bags with stickers and coloured markers.

Madam Halimah wrapped up their hour together with photos and high fives, before giving out red packets in line with Chinese New Year tradition.

Mr Muhammad Fahmi Adam, 21, who has an intellectual disability, epilepsy and scoliosis and uses a wheelchair, has been attending Me Too! Club activities for close to three years.

His mother, Madam Faridah Tamby, 57, said it is important for him to interact with people, but he was not eligible to enrol in schools or daycare facilities for those with special needs.

"As a caregiver, I am very grateful for such activities because my son can socialise."

Mr Saifuddin Arif Zainal, 24, a Youth Corps volunteer of six years, said he was happy to see the beneficiaries in high spirits. "Fahmi was clapping. Madam Faridah shared that Fahmi is not very responsive, so the fact that he was clapping showed that he was enjoying himself," he said.

The full-time national serviceman said he hopes more people will take the initiative to learn more about and interact with the intellectually disabled.

"We should spend time researching this community and understand what life is like for individuals with special needs," he added.

The group's visit concluded with a tour of the ground floor of the Istana's main building, guided by volunteers from the Istana Heritage Gallery.

Madam Faridah said she had been looking forward to the event and felt privileged to be able to visit the Istana with her son.

"I have a special child. Events like this show that Singapore is looking out for my child and we are not alone," she added.