Home  
  About Us  
  What We Do  
  News & Events  
  Photo Gallery  
  Help Us  
  Links  
  Contact Us  
History, Vision, Mission & Motto
Exco List  
 
History

The Penang Family Planning Association (FPA) was registered on 16 January 1962 . The first annual general meeting was held on 27 February 1962 in its temporary office at Bishop Street which later moved to Beach Street. The first permanent clinic started operation in May 1966 at 16/18 Kampong Kolam (KK).

The then Mayor of Georgetown, the Honourable Mr Ooi Thiam Siew (who was also the FPA President) officiated the opening on 14 October 1966. The office was then transferred to Kampong Kolam which remains as FPA’s main clinic. In 1998, the office moved from 57 Macalister Road to Jalan Perak.

The association set up a network of mobile clinics at the Municipal Council government clinic premises to provide much-needed family planning information and clinic services. These clinics were manned by motivational field workers both on the island as well as the mainland (Butterworth, Kepala Batas and Bukit Mertajam).
 

In 1966, the federal government adopted a family planning policy for the country and the National Family Planning Board (LPPKN) was formed. The association and the board cooperated to complement each other – the former concentrated mostly on urban areas. Due to this co-existence, many people mistake the association as part of the board. However, LPPKN discontinued urban family planning services in 1994 as part of its service integration with the Ministry of Health.

By now, our services included: pregnancy tests, early detection of cancers via pap smears and breast examination, infertility/sub-fertility counselling, marital counselling, hormone replacement therapy, minor gynaecological treatment, medical camps and reproductive health advice to youths.

Information, education and communication (IEC) activities have been an important aspect of the association’s activities as requests for information and education are much in demand.

Among some of the activities are: talks, video shows, exhibitions, planned parenthood courses, industrial nurses’ update, male responsibility programmes, community development programmes, ante-natal programmes, satisfied acceptors courses and sexual and reproductive health information at an unwed mothers’ shelter. We also run family counselling workshops for recovering drug-users and their families under programmes by the National Anti-Drug Agency.

In the 1980s, the Federation of Family Planning Associations, Malaysia (FFPAM) started a pilot project to get women involved in raising women’s status. The task force which comprised NGOs like FPA, Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Women’s Lawyers Federation held meetings at our KK clinic. Their idea of forming a crisis centre for women became a reality when the Women’s Crisis Centre (now Women’s Centre for Change) was inaugurated to serve the needs of rape and battered women survivors.

FPA formed its own Women’s Development Project (WDP) committee from 1984 to 1993. In 2002, it was revived by some enthusiastic members who went on to form the MAY (Me and You) Support Group (MSG).The MSG provides moral and emotional support for people living with HIV and AIDS and their families. In 2007, due to the increase in number of our MSG clients, the MAY Care drop-in Centre started operations with donation from Community Works and the Penang State government.

Since 1989, the association has concentrated on HIV and AIDS work and from 1994, youth camps with HIV and AIDS components were funded by the then State Women’s Consultative Council (HAWA) with occasional assistance by the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC). In 1999, FPA together with Community AIDS Service Penang co-organised the Red Ribbon Carnival, the national level commemoration of World AIDS Day for MAC. Volunteers also presented papers at the 5th International Congress on AIDS in Asia Pacific and youths have attended the International AIDS Conference’s in Durban (2000) and Mexico (2008). Another innovative project is BATS (Bringing Awareness of Sexual Reproductive Health to Sex Workers).

The scope of the services and activities of the association went beyond family planning. In 2007, FPA officially changed its name to the Penang Family Health Development Association (Persatuan Perkembangan Kesihatan Keluarga, Pulau Pinang).

The success of any organisation depends on adequate human and financial resources. We are very grateful that there are many donors who believe in us and have been giving us the necessary funds to enable us to run our community services. Appreciation also goes to all the dedicated and committed doctors, volunteers and staff to keep the machinery going.

Vision

To be the leading non-government organisation in the field of sexual and reproductive health for healthy family development.

Mission

To promote the well-being of families and enhance community development through caring services.

Motto

Healthy families, happy families.

Copyright © Penang Family Health Development Association (Penang FHDA). All Rights Reserved.
Site Designed & Developed by Evomedia Technology