Kuching - Around 80 percent of blindness cases are avoidable, yet the number of visually impaired and totally blind people in Sarawak in increasing.
          Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom disclosed this when launching World Sight Day 2010 and International White Cane Day at the Spring here yesterday.
           He did not say how the cases are avoidable but during a press conference later on, National Council for the Blind Malaysia president Dato K Kulasegaran said most cases involved blurred vision (or cataract) which is curable if detected early.
           Mawan said volunteers and organisations like the council and Sarawak Society for the blind (SSB) should be commended for their commitment towards the society.
            They have contributes to make Malaysia a caring society .But they too have encourage others to contribute their part so that efforts to alleviate suffering due to blindness will be intensified”he said
             Mawan also hoped that many young people would one day replace the older volunteers. Continuing the legacy of good deeds is of utmost importance,said Mawan who also Sarawak Pregressive Democratic Party president.

The Borneo Post, 15 October 2010