It takes a village: Society plans RM25m place in Pahang for autistic adults with nowhere to go

The National Autism Society of Malaysia is planning to develop a RM25 million residence in Pahang that can accommodate 200 autistic adults once their guardians are no longer around. — Picture from Facebook/The National Autism Society of Malaysia - NASOM

First Published: Saturday, 31 Oct 2026 2:15 PM MYT

KUANTAN, Oct 31 — The National Autism Society of Malaysia plans to develop an autism village to provide safe accommodation for adult autistic individuals who have nowhere to live in Pahang.

The intention was expressed following the presence of the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah to officiate the society’s Kuantan 2026 Charity Sale Ceremony at Taman Gelora here, today.

The society’s patron Datuk Megat Ahmad Shahrani Megat Sharuddin said the proposed development of the village aimed to ensure that autistic individuals aged 30 to 50, especially those who no longer have guardians, received suitable accommodation and continuous care.

He said the centre was proposed to accommodate about 200 residents with an estimated development cost of about RM25 million based on a study conducted.

“When their parents are gone, some of them do not have siblings or family members to take the responsibility of caring for them. We want to provide a place so that they are not abandoned,” he told reporters after the event.

Megat Ahmad Shahrani said his party was trying to obtain five acres of land and hoped that the proposal would receive the attention and support of the Pahang Royal Institution to realise the wish.

He said Pahang also had the potential to become a settlement for autistic individuals from all over the country and not just those from the state.

“The society is also trying to obtain financial support from corporate companies and related bodies to finance the project, but providing land is the main requirement before fundraising efforts can be intensified,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the operating costs of the society’s centres nationwide reached about RM7 million a year, while the collection obtained was only around RM4 million, causing the association to have to find an additional RM3 million every year.

He said the cost of providing education and therapy for individuals with autism was high because the learning approach required more specific attention, with a low teacher-to-student ratio to ensure that the needs of each individual could be met.

“The society, however, strives to ensure that the fees charged remain affordable for all levels of society, in addition to providing assistance to underprivileged families based on an assessment of their circumstances,” he said. — Bernama