Our History

The Beginning

After World War II, the 1950’s saw the population of Malaysia grow. Schools for normal children were established in various towns and villages. It was felt that there was a need to establish a special centre to cater for the spastic and physically handicapped children. Petaling Jaya was thought to be a good location as this new satellite town was expanding very rapidly to meet the needs of the burgeoning population of Kuala Lumpur.

The state of Selangor became the first State in Malaysia to establish an Association for the care of the handicapped spastic children. the objective of the Association is to develop and restore to the fullest the physical, mental, social and economic usefulness of which the spastic child is capable by intensive and comprehensive rehabilitation services. The Association enjoys the Royal Patronage of DYMM Sultan of Selangor Darul Ehsan.

The Association started in a garage of the Red Cross with a handful of 7 children in February 1960. It then moved to the residence of its President, Mr H.M.S.Ali, for 6 months. It was relocated to 112-B, Lorong Seputeh, Jalan Klang, Kuala Lumpur. In 1962 the number of educable cerebral palsied children at the Centre totaled 31. The first VIP to visit the Centre was  Her Majesty The Raja Permaisuri Agung. The Association was in great need of a proper building to house the increasing number of children.

In 1962, a 61,425 sq.ft. of land was obtained for the new Spastic Centre from the Government of Selangor. Their Royal Highnesses, The Sultan and Tengku Ampuan of Selangor, made their first visit in 1963. In 1964 the Ministry of Rural Development and the Lotteries Board approved a $ 230,000 grant for the new centre. in the meantime the Tasmania Spastic Centre and the Royal Hobart Hospital donated $ 20,000 worth of appliances which were transported to Malaysia by the Royal Australian Air Force. A physiotherapist from Tasmania also came to work at the Centre.