SEREMBAN, April 30 — Ronald McDonald House Charities Malaysia (RMHC Malaysia) and the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia (JKM) have strengthened their strategic collaboration through the Ronald McDonald Sensory Therapy Room initiative for children with special needs at Taman Sinar Harapan Tuanku Ampuan Najihah here.

RMHC Malaysia general manager Mohd Nasri Mohd Nordin said the initiative, held in conjunction with Autism Awareness Month, aimed to expand access to more comprehensive therapy facilities to support early intervention and the development of children with special needs more effectively.

He said the provision of suitable and well-structured facilities was crucial in supporting the development of children with special needs, while also creating a safe, conducive and consistent therapy environment.

“With facility support as well as therapist training conducted three times a year, we believe this can deliver a more holistic impact on the children’s development and their families’ quality of life.

“RMHC Malaysia will remain committed to supporting JKM’s efforts and expanding its role as a community partner in providing continuous support to those in need,” he told reporters at the handover ceremony of the Ronald McDonald Sensory Therapy Room to Taman Sinar Harapan Tuanku Ampuan Najihah here.

Mohd Nasri said the collaboration also included upgrading existing sensory therapy rooms into full-scale, more comprehensive facilities.

He said the space was equipped with sensory integration equipment in line with Ronald McDonald Sensory Therapy Room standards, through an RM50,000 community contribution by RMHC Malaysia, together with corporate partners supporting the initiative.

“The handover of the 37th Ronald McDonald Sensory Therapy Room nationwide reflects RMHC Malaysia’s continued commitment to expanding access to therapy facilities for more than 4,500 children with special needs,” he said.

He added that RMHC Malaysia would continue to expand strategic collaborations to ensure more children gained access to consistent and quality intervention.

Meanwhile, JKM director-general Datuk Che Murad Sayang Ramjan said collaboration between the public and private sectors must continue to be strengthened to improve access to quality support for children with special needs.

Che Murad said the involvement of implementing partners, such as RMHC Malaysia, not only helped in facility development but also raised public awareness on the importance of sensory therapy.

“This effort ensures that every centre is not only equipped with adequate facilities, but also meets operational standards, including support from qualified occupational therapists and the implementation of effective and continuous therapy,” he said.

The Ronald McDonald Sensory Therapy Room handed over is the third facility under JKM’s management, including Community-Based Rehabilitation Centres (PPDK).

The first therapy room at Taman Sinar Harapan Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, was fully built by RMHC in 2010, while two others were implemented through RMHC’s initiative to upgrade 11 existing sensory therapy rooms at JKM facilities nationwide starting last year.

This ongoing effort reflects RMHC Malaysia’s belief that every child deserves equal opportunities to grow, supported by inclusive and effective therapy care. — Bernama

Exclusive: Samaritans call for mandatory training for firefighters amid rise in incidents

Suicide-related callouts to fire and rescue services in England have tripled in the last decade, with Samaritans now calling for mandatory training for firefighters, who they say are struggling to deal with the increase in traumatic incidents.

New figures show that fire services in England attended 3,250 suicide callouts in the year ending September 2025, the equivalent to 62 callouts a week. This was up from 997 callouts in 2009-10 when records began.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Former Scottish Labour leader says she understands that expressing respect for author caused ‘worry, anger and upset’

The incoming chair of the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall says she is “truly sorry” after she expressed “huge respect” for JK Rowling in an interview with the Guardian. Kezia Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, said she understood that her words had caused “worry, anger and upset and I am truly sorry about that”.

In an interview for the Today in Focus podcast in Edinburgh to mark her appointment as Stonewall’s chair, Dugdale was asked what she thought of the way in which Rowling has talked about transgender people.

Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversary

Over its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer’s Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne’s naming “Winnie” after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath’s poem Zoo Keeper’s Wife.

Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes, who would become poet laureate, worked at the zoo briefly as a dish washer, an experience said to have helped fuel his inspiration for The Thought-Fox.

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The homelessness charity Centrepoint has confirmed it will cut ties with its celebrity ambassador Sharon Osbourne after she expressed support for a far-right rally being organised by Tommy Robinson.

The charity, of which the Prince of Wales is patron, has been forced to distance itself from comments made by Osbourne. The TV personality indicated this week that she would be attending an event organised in London by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.