Joyous Raya

Thursday October 1, 2009


Joyous Raya

Three disabled persons were in the thick of things during the long festive break.

LAST week’s long Raya break had three of my disabled chums – all of them paralysed from the neck down – involved in a variety of activities.

My newest pal, Ahmad Daniel Sharani, had the wonderful opportunity of celebrating Aidilfitri with one of his relatives in Kuala Lumpur.

The 33-year-old, who lives in Petaling Jaya, had wanted to spend the night at this special relative’s home. The opportunity came on Raya’s eve when he was invited to his relative’s apartment.

As it turned out, Daniel and his family were not the only ones there. “Much to our surprise, there were other relatives – about 20 of us,” said Daniel. However, he was the only wheelchair-user in the group.

Despite the condominium being located on top of a hill, Daniel was pleased to be greeted by a wheelchair-friendly ramp in the building.

“The ramp leading into the condo was pretty good. It was smooth all the way with a gentle climb for wheelchairs,” he observed.

The bathroom in his relative’s apartment, however, was another story. Daniel was not able to get his wheelchair through the bathroom’s narrow entrance, making his stay a little difficult.

“But the inconvenience did not spoil the magic of watching Arsenal thrash Wigan 4-0. It was a double cause for celebration for me,” said Daniel who became disabled in February 1994.

A teenager then, Daniel was riding pillion with his best friend when a car came out of nowhere and crashed into them. His chum was killed instantly. Daniel became paralysed.

“I am disappointed to note the slow pace at which buildings are being made disabled-friendly.

The authorities concerned should hasten this and not give anymore excuses,” said Daniel, who works as a writer and part-time editor.

For Chong Tuck Meng who became paralysed after falling off a motorbike in 1982, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s open house was his first public Raya visit since his accident.

The disabled activist from Bentong, Pahang, who founded the country’s spinal cord injuries association called “Perwira K9 Malaysia”, called on the PM last Sunday.

“I was the only one in a wheelchair there, but I was thrilled to be part of the crowd that came to wish the PM Selamat Hari Raya,” said Chong, 47.

“It was a delight to see the older generation and visitors with walking problems not having to line up with the crowd. They were given special buggy rides to the entrance of the building.

“I was most delighted to be able to meet and shake the hands of many Cabinet Ministers at the do. Along with the ample food spread, goodie bags were also making their rounds.

It was a terrific outing for me. I hope that more disabled Malaysians will make themselves visible so that society will be more mindful of our existence and rights,” added Chong.

On a less cheery note, Francis Siva of the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor, had to call off all his open house visits to attend to a resident at the centre who was hospitalised. The resident fell into a coma shortly after.

“The physically disabled are among the most vulnerable during emergency situations as what happened to our member.

Even though our resident remains in critical condition, it was fortunate that he was with us, and that we could rush him to the hospital,” said Francis who was crippled in a car accident 23 years ago.

According to Francis, 49, many physically disabled Malaysians are in the dark about their conditions and how to care for themselves.

“They lack transportation facilities to hospitals despite the availability of ambulances, and often seek treatment only when their situation becomes critical.

“Our Raya wish is to see more disabled persons being educated about health issues. We would like to see the Government allocate more funds towards the cost of medication.

“Even though the disabled are given free treatment at government hospitals and clinics, the reality is that they often have to pay for medication purchased from outside clinics as these drugs are not available in government hospitals. This is certainly not right,” added Francis.