BANDAR BARU SELAYANG - Meriah

BANDAR BARU SELAYANG - Meriah

Kemeriahan sekitar Sambutan Hari Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) Sedunia anjuran Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS), Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya dan Badan Latihan & Hidup Berdikari (ILTC) yang berlangsung di hadapan pekarangan Stadium MPS, di sini minggu lalu. Satu Kempen Keselamatan dan Kesedaran Kemalangan Jalan Raya turut diadakan di mana sebanyak 120 jaket keselamatan dan topi keledar diberikan kepada OKU yang hadir dalam majlis tersebut.

Turut hadir Ahli Parlimen Selayang, William Leong Jee Keen, Yang Dipertua MPS, Zainal Adidin Azim dan Pengarah Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya Selangor, Shah Rizan Mohamad Sirat.

Time to heighten plight of the disabled

Thursday December 4, 2008

Time to heighten plight of the disabled

THE International Day for the Disabled fell on Dec 3 and I wonder how many of us were aware of this.

Malaysians treat the disabled with a curious combination of either disrespect or as morbid objects of curiosity. We still have a long way to go to accept the disabled as useful contributors to society.

In the west, the disabled are taught and encouraged to live independently, with self-respect and integrity. Over here, people are more curious than helpful, with scores of nosey bystanders whenever the disabled dare venture out for everyday chores or visits.

We still have much to learn from the West when it comes to empowering our disabled community.

First of all, we have to heighten the plight of the disabled to the general public. As a community, the disabled can and do make a useful contribution to society, the economy and social issues.

However, many individuals, companies and politicians are not willing to extend full rights to the disabled.

Legislation of laws which will ease the daily life of the disabled are slow to pass. In simple terms, the disabled are treated as second-class citizens.

Job opportunities are still not being made available to the disabled in either the public or private sector, buildings do not incorporate features to help the disabled, transport facilities for the disabled are lacking. Even the provision of special handicap parking badges have recently been turned down.

Most taxis refuse to take a wheelchair users. Even hotels, especially those that are state-run, do not have proper functioning facilities for the disabled.

For instance, cobbled paths that lead to the rooms or ramps that have a steep incline make it impossible for wheelchair users. The devil is in the detail and it is the detail that is sorely lacking at most places.

Our society, maybe even our culture, tends to exclude the disabled from normal life. Politicians only pay lip service to helping the disabled. Some MPs have made unflattering remarks about the disabled rather than treat them with the dignity and the respect they deserve.

If we are serious about being a fully fledged developed nation, then it is time we made a serious effort to promote the interests and well-being of the disabled.

Secondly, politicians should legislate aggressively to help empower the disabled to include them in the mainstream of society. Individuals, companies and organisations could also involve themselves in the development of ideas to counteract the negative perception of society towards the disabled.

Schools should be encouraged to have an after-school activity that makes our children aware that the disabled have the right to live, work and be educated alongside us.

International Day for the Disabled should be a time for us to show our respect, pride and admiration for the disabled in our society.

MARIAM MOKHTAR,

Ipoh.

Failure to fill form costs disabled jobs

2008/12/04

Failure to fill form costs disabled jobs


BANGI: Almost all of the 1,000 disabled who sought government jobs between July and this month were unsuccessful because of their failure to fill a compulsory form.

They had failed to submit a form issued by the Public Services Commission, completing only a form issued by the Social Welfare Department.This led to only five successfully obtaining jobs.

Social Welfare Department division for the development of people with disabilities director Jayalatchumy Cumaraswamy said many applicants were not aware they had to fill out the form issued by the commission.She said this after the launch of a job expo for the disabled.

The form issued by the commission will be available online at www.spa.gov.my. from Jan 1.

Include The Disabled In All Development Efforts - UN Sec-Gen

December 03, 2008 18:41 PM

Include The Disabled In All Development Efforts - UN Sec-Gen
By: Ramjit

By Muin Abdul MajidDUBAI, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged governments and all stakeholders to ensure the disabled and their organisations are an integral part of all development processes.

"In this way, we can promote integration and pave the way for a better future for all people in society," he said in his message to mark International Day Of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday.

According to Ban, the UN General Assembly had stressed that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), those with disabilities must be included in all processes.

"With 80 per cent of the disabled -- more than 400 million people -- living in poor countries, we need to do much more to break the cycle of poverty and disability," he said.

Ban said this year's celebration came just a week before the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN was commemorating both under the theme, 'Dignity and Justice for All of Us'.

"We have much to celebrate this year. The entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in May was a turning point."

When the first Conference of the Parties convened in October, participants immediately began considering how the Convention can serve as a tool to achieve the MDGs."

This progress has been made possible, thanks to the active participation and leadership of persons with disabilities, by ensuring that they have access to -- and are included in -- all aspects of our work," said the head of the world body.

Noting that the UN remained committed to this approach, Ban said the renovation of the UN headquarters complex would bring its facilities up to the latest standards of accessibility.

"These advances are long overdue," he added.

BERNAMA

Thursday December 4, 2008

- Lifestyle > Focus


Better facilities
WHEEL POWER
BY ANTHONY THANASAYAN

INTERNATIONAL Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), which was observed yesterday, turned out to be quite a memorable event for a number of disabled persons in the Klang Valley. The theme for this year’s celebrations was Dignity and Justice – two words which matter a great deal to disabled communities all over the world.

On Monday, I was invited as a Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya speaker to a road safety awareness campaign at the MPS stadium in Selayang, Selangor. The event brought together more than a hundred disabled motorists. The campaign, held in conjunction with the UN international disabled day, was targeted at disabled drivers, and organised by the Selayang Municipal Council, together with the Malaysian Road Safety Department and the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC).

Francis Siva, president of ILTC, said: “Because of the lack of disabled-friendly public transportation, the handicapped have to find ways to acquire vehicles on their own to earn a living or for hospital visits. As cars are expensive, many of the disabled resort to buying bikes, which are not exactly safe.”

These bikes are modified into four-wheelers or three-wheelers. The four-wheeler looks like a normal bike except that it has three wheels at the back with the usual one wheel in front. The disabled can tie their foldable wheelchairs at the backend of their seats. The three-wheelers come with an attached sidecar. Although the wheelchair can be placed in the sidecar, it would take a strong disabled motorcyclist to lift the wheelchair into the sidecar. Riders with poor balance also risk falling off their bikes.

“There are no driving schools which provide disabled-friendly cars or motorcycles for the handicapped,” said Francis, who became disabled in a driving accident more than 20 years ago.

That did not stop him from driving again 10 years later. He uses a hand-powered car that allows him to control the pedals with his hands. He said the only centre that has two modified cars for disabled persons to learn to drive is at the government Bangi training centre in Kajang, Selangor.

“I often receive complaints that the centre has no instructors to teach disabled drivers,” he said, adding that all driving schools should provide at least one modified car and motorbike for handicapped students.

Francis has a couple of suggestions:

>Make special concessions: Many disabled persons are illiterate because they have not been to school. Others were forced to drop out because schools refused to provide disabled-friendly facilities or there was no transportation available. Special training to handle such persons is required for all staff.

>Many PJ buildings are not disabled-friendly. Its offices in Padang Jawa, Selangor, and Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, provide services at the disabled car parks. However, there are complaints from the handicapped that the allocated parking lots are not next to entrances, security personnel are never around, and the handicapped are being charged for parking.

Helping hand for the handicapped

Monday December 1, 2008

Helping hand for the handicapped



LIKE most parents, lottery ticket seller Ramesh Moses has many worries concerning his children.

However, his worries are over simple, yet essential, matters like having enough food on the table each day.

The 44-year-old is wheelchair-bound and was handicapped by polio at the age of two. He earns about RM550 a month through the ticket sales.Feeling the pinch: (From left) K. Kaliamma, her son M. Muhilan with Mary and her husband Ramesh at their home in Sri Johor flats in Cheras during the visit by Azman.

His wife R. Mary, 43, is a housewife and they have four children aged between 11 and 18 years old.

They have been living at a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) flat in Cheras for about 20 years now.

The church they attend also helps out with some RM200 each month.

However, the total is hardly sufficient for a family of four with children in school and other expenditures like the flat rental and utility bills.

“My flat rental is overdue by about 12 months. I only sell tickets three times a week and I go to work at nearby areas such as Maluri and Pandan Jaya, within Cheras so that my cab fare does not exceed RM8 to and fro each time,” he said during a visit to his flat by Bandar Tun Razak MP Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s personal assistant Azman Abidin.

Azman also visited a handicapped boy, M. Muhilan, 19, in the area. Muhilan was accompanied by his mother K. Kaliamma Thevi, 44.

Kaliamma said Muhilan and his younger brother M. Anbarasan, 16, were born with Down Syndrome.

“I can’t work because I have to be here and take care of Muhilan while my sister takes care of Anbarasan. Sending them to a day-care centre would be too expensive for me.

“I cannot leave them alone as they need attention all the time, especially since they occasionally have seizures,” she said, adding that her husband, who works for Alam Flora, was a diabetic and was also often ill.

Azman, who provide some monetary help to the two families on behalf of the MP’s office, said there were many low-income, handicapped people living in the DBKL flats.

“The cost of living in KL is quite high and especially during this time of economic crisis, the low-income groups feel the pinch the most.

“I suggest that the government waives the rental for certain low-income, handicapped groups to help them in the long-run and think of ways of helping them sustain themselves,” he said during the visit.

To make contributions to these families call the MP’s office at 03-9172 1200/ 4200.

Ministry To Get Equal Recognition For Disabled Athleles

December 01, 2008 16:10 PM


Ministry To Get Equal Recognition For Disabled Athleles

BERA, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Youth and Sports Ministry is trying to get equal recognition for disabled athletes to enjoy the rights and privileges received by their normal counterparts.

Its Minority Sports Development Director, Kamaruzaman Hassan Mansor, said Monday the ministry hoped that the disabled athletes would receive the same incentives because they too had struggled to put Malaysia's name in the world sports arena.

"If a normal athlete gets RM1 million if he or she wins a gold medal in the Olympics, we hope the same reward will be given to the disabled athlete for a gold medal at the Paralympic Games," he said at the closing of the national-level Tasek Bera Kayaking Expedition for the Disabled Challenge 2008, here.

Kamaruzaman Hassan said the ministry would also try to secure pension for disabled athletes who win medals at international sports meets.

He also called for a sports and recreation association for the disabled to be set up soon in each state to take care of the welfare and interests of disabled athletes.

BERNAMA

Segerakan kemudahan bas untuk OKU

Selasa 2-12-2008


Segerakan kemudahan bas untuk OKU

BANDAR BARU SELAYANG – Ahli Parlimen Selayang, William Leong Jee Keen menggesa pihak kerajaan melalui Kementerian Kerja Raya menyegerakan penyediaan kemudahan pengangkutan bas awam untuk golongan orang kurang upaya (OKU) bagi memudahkan kehidupan harian mereka sama seperti masyarakat sempurna fizikal yang lain.

“Pada pandangan saya, kemudahan ini bukanlah sesuatu yang sukar disediakan. Kementerian boleh memanggil semua pihak berkenaan bagi membincangkan perkara ini, termasuk syarikat bas yang boleh mengeluarkan bas khas ini untuk memberikan kemudahan kepada OKU.

“Lihat contoh di Singapura, mereka boleh menyediakan kemudahan bas untuk OKU dan tidak mustahil kita juga boleh meluaskan penggunaan bas berkenaan,” katanya ketika berucap merasmikan Kempen Keselamatan dan Kesedaran Kemalangan Jalan Raya sempena Hari OKU Sedunia di sini, semalam.

William berkata demikian berikutan masih kurangnya kemudahan pengangkutan untuk golongan tersebut, walaupun terdapat kemudahan pengangkutan awam seperti transit aliran ringan (LRT) dan teksi.

Sementara itu mengulas manfaat kempen anjuran Majlis Perbandaran Selayang itu William berkata, usaha Majlis Keselamatan Jalan Raya yang sudi menyumbang sebanyak 120 jaket keselamatan dan topi keledar kepada OKU yang hadir pada majlis tersebut diharap dapat memberikan kesedaran kepada golongan berkenaan mengenai kepentingan mengamalkan pemanduan berhemah dan mengambil langkah terhadap keselamatan di jalan raya.

Katanya, program sebegini amat digalakkan kerana ia secara tidak langsung dapat menerapkan nilai-nilai murni kepada generasi baru supaya tidak mengabaikan tanggungjawab mereka terhadap OKU sekali gus dapat merapatkan hubungan antara masyarakat awam dan pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT).

“Saya berharap agar lebih ramai pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dan syarikat-syarikat swasta untuk tampil memberikan bantuan yang terdaya dan saya sentiasa membuka ruang kepada warga OKU untuk sama-sama berkongsi masalah dan pandangan,” katanya.