Cruyff Court Iskandar and PDK bring together children with special needs through Karnival CCI-PDK Permata Hatiku 2016

5 November 2016 – 150 children with special needs from nine Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti’ (PDK) in Johor Bahru came together and enjoyed a day of fun at the ‘Karnival CCI-PDK Permata Hatiku 2016’. Co-organised by PDK and Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) through Cruyff Court Iskandar (CCI), the carnival aims to actualise the vision of Cruyff Court Foundation namely to empower every child who has special needs with the opportunity to experience the pleasure of sports with the community.

The nine ‘PDK in Johor Bahru included PDK Tanjung Puteri, PDK Nusajaya, PDK Johor Jaya, PDK Permas Jaya, PDK Ulu Tiram, PDK Kempas, PDK Puteri Wangsa, PDK Tun Aminah and PDK Kota Masai. Teachers and staff from IIB’s adopted schools, Sekolah Kanak-kanak Istimewa Johor Bahru, Sekolah Mohd Khir Johari and Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Suria, who were part of the carnival’s organising committee also joined the celebration, alongside 40 student volunteers from Kolej Politeknik Metro and Institute Kemahiran Mara (Pasir Gudang), who coordinated the carnival programme.

The CCI football court in Kampung Melayu Majidee came to life with nine different games over the course of Saturday morning. These games included ‘menjunjung pundi kacang menggunakan kepala’, ‘lari kepit bola’, ‘bowling kelapa’ and ‘sambung straw’ to name a few. A total of nine teams made up of able-bodied children and children with disabilities from various participating schools and institutions competed in the carnival. Y.A.D Datin Rosni Omar, wife of Menteri Besar Johor, officiated the closing of the half-day event which was a tremendous success.

“We are proud of our close collaboration with CCI as social inclusion and sustainability remain our key focus areas. As we progress in developing the region, we also want to strengthen the community and continuously improve the lives of the people in it. Together with various partners, including adopted schools and institutions, corporations and Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Negeri Johor, CCI has shown tremendous dedication towards achieving this goal through this carnival and other initiatives,” said President/Chief Executive Officer of IIB, Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad.

YB Datuk Adam Sumiru, patron of PDK and Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN), who has worked closely with PDK Tanjung Puteri, a community institution that caters to 48 individuals with special needs aged from four to forty years old, was equally delighted by the level of collaboration across corporate citizens, government and educational institutions at the carnival. “It is heartening to see various segments of the community working together for a cause that will benefit everyone at large. We hope to see more of these collaborations as the region develops further in the years to come,” he said.

This is the carnival’s fourth edition since CCI was launched in 2012. In 2015, IIB collaborated with Cruyff Court Kuala Lumpur, Pan-Disability Football Club and the Malaysia Blind Football Team.  On 3 November 2016, CCI received the Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award (IMSHA) in the Corporate Social Responsibility category, solidifying its purpose of making significant contributions towards the society through impactful and meaningful community service in Johor.

by LerLer Chan
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