2009/03/04

ASEAN PARA GAMES: Be the best overall, says Ismail Sabri

By : K.M. Boopathy

Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (right) shakes hand with powerlifter Cheok Kon Fatt at the pre-launch of the 5th Asean Para Games in Putrajaya yesterday. Pic: IZHARI ARIFFIN

MALAYSIA should be applauded for saving the fifth Asean Para Games after Laos withdrew as hosts but they, said Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, must also aim to become the overall champions of the event to be in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 15-19.

Malaysia stepped in after Laos, already burdened with the December's Sea Games, were undone by financial constraints to stage the paralympics involving 11 South East Asian countries.

Ismail Sabri also confirmed that the government had approved a budget of RM4 million to host the Games where 11 sports will be contested and the minister wanted the athletes try to become overall champions.

Malaysia, who organised the inaugural Games in 2001, were crowned overall champions that year but have only managed to finish second since.

"The government has allocated RM4 million to host the Asean Para Games but don't just be the best hosts but try to become the best contingent," said Ismail Sabri.

"This event is important as the government has also approved to have the centre of excellence for paralympic athletes in Kampung Pandan.

"This proves that we are not neglecting them, so they must justify the government's support by doing well in the Games."

The Games could have been bigger had it not been for several sports being scratched when the minimum of athletes, which is four, was not fulfilled.

"We are the only country to host the Games twice, and having become champions on the first attempt as hosts, we should be aiming for similar success."

Besides Malaysia, the other nations competing are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Timor Leste.Malaysia are traditionally strong in athletics and swimming which helped them clinch the overall crown in 2001 when only these two sports were contested.

The hosts will again be banking on the two events as well as badminton and powerlifting this year. Table tennis, chess, bowling, sailing, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball and volleyball are the other sports which will be contested.

Looking for toilets

Thursday March 5, 2009




Looking for toilets

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The search for a model disabled-friendly rest room yielded some interesting results.

I WAS involved in an unusual assignment a week ago. Together with another gentleman in a wheelchair, and accompanied by a team of experts from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), our motley crew went out as “roving investigators” in Petaling Jaya.

We went to look at, of all things, toilets. And we were only interested in loos that were user-friendly for disabled and elderly individuals.

The purpose of our trip was to come up with a good prototype design of a restroom that would be user-friendly for the handicapped.

Our first stop was a well-known hotel. We oohed and aahed at most of the outfit’s disabled-friendly designs. The most impressive was the entry/exit door of the loo, which was an electronic one.

All a patron in a wheelchair needed to do was press a button with one finger and presto: it would open for him. Once inside, he has only to push another button. The door closes, offering him all the privacy he needs.

If only all other hotels in the country would follow the good example of the hotel we visited and provide electronic doors as well, it would make the lives of disabled and elderly persons much easier when they visit such outfits.

Even though posh hotels may have disabled-friendly loos, little attention is given to the doors. The doors are often so heavy that we have a hard time trying to open them.

Not everything was smooth-sailing during our assignment. Together with the good came the not-so-good.

We had a lesson on how important it was to train everyone to handle an emergency.

When we tried to get into the loo for the first time, it suddenly got locked and refused to open until 20 minutes later. None of the staff knew how to open the door.

They claimed the person in charge was not around. Fortunately, this was not a real emergency.

We dreaded to think of what could have happened if a disabled person had fallen inside the loo and needed help.

It was disappointing too that the five-star hotel had a steep ramp at its entrance which disabled guests were forced to use to access the building.

The reserved parking lot for the disabled was located far from the entrance to the building.

The management promised to rectify the situation soonest possible.

Our journey also took us to Ikea and Ikano shopping centres in Mutiara Damansara.

No sooner had we arrived when we were greeted by smiling security guards at the generously-sized parking lots for the disabled. These people are so serious about their car parks for the handicapped that they clamp any unauthorised cars and make them pay a fine for abusing the facilities.

The money collected is donated to a local charity for the disabled.

I was shocked to hear about the reactions of some people who misuse the disabled parking bays.

One or two of them even resorted to violence when their cars were clamped, I was told.

The majority, however, were apologetic when they realised the error of their ways.

As for the toilets, especially Ikea’s, I think they have close to the perfect one I’ve seen so far.

The toilet is spacious enough for a helper to accompany a disabled person. There’s an alarm bell (panic button) in case of an emergency and even a face mirror that leans slightly downwards from a strategic height to allow a wheelchair-user to view his upper body.

We were all touched by the willingness of these two shopping centres to improve on what they were providing for shoppers.