Blind singer Azmi Saat performing with a group called Caliph Buskers during the launch.
At the press of a button, a giant transparent star was lit and glittery confetti fell from the roof.
Clapping with joy at this bedazzling scene during the launch of Sunway Putra Mall’s “Cahaya Raya” campaign was 11-year-old Muhammad Dhani Rifqi Mohd Nor who was there with his mother Nathasya Mohd Sari, 39.
As this campaign coincides with World Autism Month beginning with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, Sunway Malls will also be using this time to raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a developmental disability that affects socialisation skills.
One of the biggest challenges faced by autistic individuals is coming to public places like malls as crowds, noise and bright lights can be overwhelming, resulting in tantrums and meltdowns.
To support those with ASD, Sunway Malls has endeavoured to make their shopping centres autism-friendly by providing sensory walls for exploration and quiet rooms and corners where these individuals can calm down. Every Tuesday in Sunway Putra Mall for example, the brightness of its lights and the volume of ambient music are lowered from 10am to 5pm.
These measures encouraged Nathasya to bring Muhammad Dhani, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half, to the mall once a week.
“I’ve been doing this since he was four. He loves routine. We mostly walk around and eat,” said Nathasya, a teacher.
Other guests at the launch are Lyna Doll, 48, and her son Aliff Al-Azim Qusainy Abdullah Saint, 17, who has autism.
Aliff and his mother have been coming to the shopping centre when it was still known as The Mall before it was bought over by the Sunway Group in 2011 and reopened under its current name in 2015.
Lyna said, “Having experience in caring for my sister’s children, I knew that Aliff was not developing normally when he was six months old but it was not until he turned three that I was able to get an official diagnosis.
“I started bringing Aliff to this shopping centre every day since he was two so he could explore and learn. To deal with sound sensitivity, I have been bringing him to the cinema. I also bring him to the calm room to enjoy the sensory walls.”
She said that Aliff’s social life had also been enriched by some of the mall’s programmes like fun runs and Easter egg hunts which were created in support of ASD awareness.
In his speech, Sunway Malls and Theme Parks chief executive officer Chan Hoi Choy said as malls have become the heart of the community, they strove to be as inclusive as possible.
In addition to catering to individuals with ASD, the mall also ensures that its lift buttons have Braille characters to cater to the blind.
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, who is also Youth and Sports Minister, was the guest of honour at the event. Having attended the mall’s Autsome (short for “autism is awesome”) initiative when it was launched in 2019 while she was Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister, she expressed delight at the mall’s continued efforts to shine a light on autism.
Sunway Putra Mall general manager Danny Lee said that this Raya, the mall along with its generous shoppers would be supporting the autistic community by raising funds for education, life skills and necessities.
“We worked with the Segambut constituency office to identify four B40 families with autistic members aged between four and 41 years old, each with their own varying needs,” said Lee.
Shoppers can give donations at the mall’s concierge counter or via SunwayPay, he added.
