Our History
From Federationism to National Advocacy: The History of the Society of the Blind in Malaysia Sarawak Branch (SBM)
SBM was established in Kuala Lumpur in 1964. The Sarawak branch was registered on June 28, 1986, and currently 317 members throughout Sarawak. Expand to central region in Sarawak in the year 1991. Some of the branch’s achievements include:
Borneo Visually Impaired Seminar (2006):
Organizing a seminar for the visually impaired in Borneo.
Massage Course (2011):
Offering a massage course that significantly reduced the number of visually impaired individuals resorting to begging. Many became professional masseurs.
Leadership training and education support:
Successfully training leaders through leadership courses and collaborating with schools to offer group tuition for visually impaired students. Outstanding students receive awards for academic excellence in major exams such as UPSR, PMR, SPM, and STPM.
Purchased a building in Kuching:
SBM Sarawak acquired its own building through financial contributions from the public.
Mount Kinabalu expedition (2013):
Organized an expedition to climb Mount Kinabalu in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
National White Cane Day (2016):
Hosted the National White Cane Day celebration.
SBM’s Continued Mission
- State-level White Cane Day (2017): Organized the White Cane Day celebration at the state level.“
- SBM Sarawak Prihatin” Program: Assisted members affected during the pandemic.