The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, D.Y.M.M. Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir inaugurated the opening of IDEAS Autism Centre (IAC) in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan on the 23rd of January 2022. The presence of D.Y.M.M. Tuanku Muhriz and D.Y.M.M. Tuanku Aishah Rohani binti Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud highlighted their commitment to the importance of early intervention and therapies for children with autism.
Also present were Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti, Y.A.M. Tunku Ali Redhauddin Tuanku Muhriz, Y.A.M. Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Tuanku Muhriz, Founding President and Chairman of IDEAS, and Tunku Muda Serting, Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Imran ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar al-Haj, Chairman of Sime Darby Foundation.
As soon as D.Y.M.M. Tuanku Muhriz arrived, he began a tour of the centre and the ribbon cutting to inaugurate the official opening of the IAC.
Some of the major donors who made this centre possible are Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (MAINS), Yayasan Yara, Sime Darby Foundation, RYTHM Foundation, Tune Protect Group Berhad, Hong Leong Foundation, and the landlords, Dr Mohamed Maharoof Vaheed and wife Faizanah Abdul Alim Sidique.
The newly established IAC in Nilai is set up as a social enterprise while the IAC in Rawang is a non-profit. “We are now actively working to expand our support to more autistic children across the country. This includes increasing the number of programmes, providing training, and collaborating with autism centres and other organisations. As a charity, we rely heavily on donations from various sources to continue our efforts. Therefore, I have high hopes that the noble efforts and cooperation with our sponsors can continue, and at the same time, more organisations and entities will be willing to cooperate with the IAC,” said Y.A.M. Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin at the ceremony.
According to Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Imran, “Our support for the IDEAS Autism Centre, first in Rawang and now a new one here in Nilai, serves as a strong testament to our commitment under our Education pillar to support the education of all children so that no one is left behind.”
The new centre is located at No. 58, Jalan Nilai Impian 3, Nilai Impian, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. They look forward to working with more partners and welcoming more children to the IAC.
