Kuala lumpur: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, accompanied Singapore First Lady Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam on a visit to the Bangi Autism Service Centre (PPA) near here today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the visit was held in conjunction with the state visit of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Malaysia, which began yesterday. The visit was highlighted on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's Facebook page, emphasizing the diplomatic significance of the engagement.

Jane Ittogi was received upon arrival by Her Majesty and Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim. The event was also attended by prominent figures including the wife of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri; Deputy Minister Lim Hui Ying; the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Maziah Che Yusoff; and Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Che Murad Sayang Ramjan.

During their tour, Raja Zarith Sofiah and Jane Ittogi explored the centre's key facilities such as the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Room, Occupational Therapy Room, and gymnasium. They observed the centre's approach to training individuals with autism in daily living skills through various programs.

In her welcoming remarks, Nancy Shukri mentioned that 93,199 individuals with autism had been registered with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as of last June. She noted that the number is anticipated to rise due to increased public awareness and improved access to screening and diagnostic services.

The visit, which concluded at around 11.30 am, served to strengthen ties between Malaysia and Singapore. It also provided an opportunity to exchange best practices in the field of social service development.

The Bangi Autism Service Centre operates through a partnership between the public sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) and the Damansara Damia Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre (PDK).