Sabah special needs teacher makes Malaysia proud with global award

Special education teacher Kan Fook Keong

PETALING JAYA: Kan Fook Keong’s dedication to making his students’ lives better paid off as he recently became the recipient of the 2023 SENIA World Changer Award.

The announcement was made on the SENIA International website on Thursday (March 2).

The special education teacher at the Keningau Vocational College, Sabah, lifted his students by training them for competitions and taking care of their welfare.

Kan (centre) with his special needs students who took part in an innovation contest.

Kan trained his hearing-impaired students to pitch their projects using sign language, which resulted in the team winning a number of medals through several innovation competitions.

He also kickstarted a vegan food project after discovering that most of his students were vegetarians which then promoted a healthier lifestyle among the students with minimal environmental harm.

The SENIA World Changer Award recognises individuals who actively promote inclusion in their community.

Previous Malaysian winners of the award include special education teachers Lana Abon and Avyasvina Istiniza Anak Unong, who won the award back in Oct 2022 and Aug 2022 respectively.