Monday December 13, 2010

Bar: Stricter laws needed to help the disabled

KUALA LUMPUR: There is a need for stricter laws to make facilities for disabled persons at public buildings and properties a must, said Malaysian Bar Council president K. Ragunath.

He added that most public transportation and walkways were not disabled-friendly.

“There is not enough pressure on the government to take the matter seriously,” he said.

He added that the Bar Council planned to set up a committee to advocate the rights of the disabled within the next two months.

The committee would work with the government, various NGOs and town councils to increase awareness on the needs of the community.

“More government intervention is needed to protect the rights of the disabled community especially in terms of employment and accessibility to public property,” he said after the grand finals of the Bar Council Human Rights Debate 2010 last night.

The three-day competition saw participation of debaters from 18 local and international institutions in conjunction with the World Human Rights Day on Saturday.

The winning team will get RM5,000 from the total cash prize of RM30,000, while the remaining RM25,000 will be donated to five charity organisations.

The organisations selected to receive the donation include the National Autism Society of Malaysia and the Society of the Orthopaedically Handicapped Malaysia.