16 underprivileged women are undergoing a five-day “creative Sari sewing course”, a first of its kind, held by the Women Ministry at the Pandan Indah Commercial Park, Selangor.
The workshop, which is part of the ministry’s Sari Satu Malaysia initiative, will expose underprivileged women on ways to operate Janome’s sewing machines to make garments such as cushion covers, reusable bags, door gifts and soft toys.
The objective of the workshop is to help single mothers and women in acquiring living skills so that they become financially independent.
Women ministry’s deputy minister Heng Seai Kie is expected to officiate the closing ceremony of the course on November 26 where she will talk about marketing the participants’ sewing works.
Meanwhile, local MP Ong Tee Keat commended Heng for her consistent efforts to promote various welfare and community programs that benefited needy Malaysians.
Ong Tee Keat (right)
He also called on the elected representatives to spend more time in organising programs for community development, particularly where single mothers and women are concerned.
“Single mothers and women need additional assistance from the government to enable them to be self-reliant,” he said during a visit to the workshop yesterday.
Ong thanked Heng and her ministry for working with his centre to help the Pandan women folk.
He said similar sewing programmes targeting the Chinese and Malay are being planned and are scheduled soon.