KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) – Growing up with a
grandmother who was visually impaired and having a blind classmate inspired
Muhamad Faizal Lockman Hakim, 35, to start MATA, the
sunglasses brand under a social entrepreneurship
company to empower the blind and visually impaired community in
Malaysia.
Known as
Mamu to his family and friends, Muhamad Faizal started MATA through the
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) outreach programme under the Malaysia
Association for the Blind (MAB) to assist the poor and rural blind.
“MATA is
funded by SME Corp. Malaysia and managed by Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia
(YIM). They allocated RM200,000 as a grant for this
project and we contribute 20 percent of every purchase to
the MAB”, he told reporters after the launch of ‘MATA – Eyewear For A
Noble Cause’ here today.
Muhamad Faizal
said MATA’s first model is the ‘Blackout’ edition which has been tested in
different settings such as under bright lighting and while driving.
“Our
material for the sunglass is unbreakable and you can actually bend
it, while the lens has an anti-scratch feature. We have also customised the
material to cater for Asian usage and weather. We target up to 1,000
sunglasses to be sold by the end of the year,” he said.
Muhamad Faizal also
has plans to produce ‘smart talking glasses’ in four years.
These
glasses are able to detect obstacles with the help of a sensor and notify
the user through headphones and vibration motors.
Meanwhile,
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) I, SME Corp. Malaysia Rizal Nainy said the
MATA was developed with government assistance through the High Impact Programme
6: Inclusive Innovation (HIP 6) under the SME
Masterplan (2012-2020).
The
sunglasses are now available for purchase on www.mata.vison website.
-- BERNAMA
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