'Pua insensitive to the disabled’

G Vinod

| March 17, 2011

PJ City Hall councillor Anthony Thanasayan ticks off DAP rep for his remarks on a disabled trader's harassment claims.

PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, a vocal critic of government policies, found himself on the receiving end when he was taken to task by a councillor.

PJ City Hall’s Anthony Thanasayan called Pua a coward for attacking him when he spoke up for a disabled hawker who was harassed by several vendors at the Taman Megah market.

“This is exactly the problem with Pua. He refuses to see the discrimination against the disabled vendor as he does not have the sensitivity to deal with a human being,” said Thanasayan.

On Feb 22, frozen food vendor Cha Seak Nee sought PJ City Hall’s help when she was being harassed by several other vendors to move her stall to the back of the Taman Megah market.

Cha, who refused to be intimidated, stood her ground, saying that her current location was disable-friendly while the one she was told to move to was not.

She claimed that when she sought councillor Tiew Wey Keng’s help, she was chided. Unhappy, Cha filed an official complaint and is being investigated by PJ City Hall’s audit team

Pua told a daily yesterday that the matter had been blown out of proportion and defended Tiew as a woman of integrity.

He claimed Thanasayan, who came to the defence of the vendor, did not show up at the meeting with the market traders on March 8 nor sought a clarification from Tiew.

Dismissing Pua’s claims, Thanasayan said he did talk to Tiew about Cha’s problems but said that Tiew did not act on her complaint.

“That was when I informed Seputeh MP Teresa Kok about Cha’s predicament and she assured me Pua would look into the matter and would contact me, but he didn’t,” said Thanasayan.

“That’s when said Cha approached me for help, as Tiew had refused to look into her complaint” said Thanasayan.

“And that’s why she also filed a police report against Tiew. Feel free to investigate my allegations but you will be disappointed,” said Thanasayan.

On his absense at the meeting, Thanasayan said he was informed by PJ City Hall that it was unnecessary for him to attend.

“I was not even invited for the meeting in the first place. Pua could have told me to attend the meeting but he did not,” he said

Wednesday March 16, 2011

Disabled trader finally gets her licence

By CHRISTINA LOW
christinalow@thestar.com.my

AFTER waiting for six months, Cha Seak Nee, who is wheelchair-bound, received her licence to trade at the Taman Megah wet market on Monday.

The 39-year-old said she had applied for the licence from the Petaling Jaya City Council last year when the market opened for business.

She went on to trade at a stall for the disabled without a licence while awaiting approval.

Happy at last: Cha at her stall in Taman Megah wet market with her trading licence she received on Monday.

However, last month, she said MBPJ officers came and asked her to move to a different lot at the vegetable and fruit section.

“They said the consumers had complained the walkway near those stalls were narrow and unsuitable during peak hours,” said Cha, who sells frozen food items.

She was still unsure if she would be able to retain her lot because the council would be meeting again this week to finalised the matter but Cha was happy that she was now a legal trader.

Petaling Jaya city councillor Anthony Thanasayan said Cha had been harassed by traders and a councillor over her move of not wanting to give up her lot as it was built for disabled people near the ramp.

“It is not the job of a councillor to do that and what that has happen to Cha should never occur again,

“It is not easy for a disabled person to come out and fight for her rights especially in a society like ours with people trying to victimise her,” he said, adding that as councillors they should always be on hand to help the less fortunate.

While Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva said he was glad that the group managed to get Cha a future to look forward to now.

“Don’t destroy our life because we all have equal opportunities,” said Francis whose centre helps train the disabled in various skills and prepare them to face the challenges they might encounter when they enter the working field.

Damansara Utama assemblymen Dr Cheah Weng Yin, who visited the market, said the Selangor government did not discriminate against the disabled community.

Wednesday March 16, 2011

MP comes to MBPJ councillor’s defence

By YIP YOKE TENG

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and three Petaling Jaya city councillors have come to the defence of councillor Tiew Way Keng who was embroiled in a controversy of handling trading lots at the new Taman Megah market.

Pua said it was necessary for Tiew to clear her name following a report in a daily on Monday that said she could be sacked if found guilty of abusing her power.

“The question of sacking did not arise as she has not been found guilty. Tiew is among the most diligent councillors and I have full faith in her integrity,” Pua told reporters yesterday at the market.

“I think the whole controversy has been blown way out of proportion. The attack on her personal character and integrity is unfair. She has done everything above board, I don’t think there is abuse of power in this case,” he said.

He added councillor Anthony Thanasayan, who fought for the disabled trader, did not turn up at the meeting chaired by deputy mayor Puasa Md Taib on March 8 with all market traders, nor sought verification from Tiew on the matter.

Pua also invited all state executive councillors to visit the market and decide for themselves if the proposal for change was made with ill intent.

He said the outcome of the meeting on March 8 was the final decision would be made in the next Sustainable Development (Mampan) meeting based on reports submitted by the deputy mayor and licensing committee.

“The decision is not out, but we understand traders in the front row are objecting the relocation and that will be taken into consideration. They were agreeable to the move but later changed their mind.

“They have a right to do so and Mampan will look for alternative measures to solve the problem,” Pua said.

“Once Tiew’s name is cleared after the audit, the rest who have been making all the allegations should be called to answer to the audit committee as well,” he added.

The three councillors who showed up were Terence Tan, Mak Khuin Weng and Jeyaseelan Anthony from DAP.

Also present at the press conference were Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled executive director Pastor Sia Siew Chin, who said allegations from the disabled trader Shirley Cha and four other disabled people were unfair to Tiew and MBPJ.

“Even though we are disabled we still have to abide by the regulations. I am annoyed that some quarters are using the disabled topic to gain personal interests,” she said.

Sia said more than 400 stakeholders at the market had supported the relocation arrangement and only five opposed the move.

Tiew said will be present at an audit in MBPJ today and added she had all the minutes and documents to prove her innocence.

“I have done everything according to legal and proper process and took into consideration the interest of all parties, including the handicapped,” she said.

She said when she had cleared her name Thanasayan should also explain to the audit committee as to why he “chose to bring MBPJ into disrepute by making baseless, frivolous and irresponsible allegations in public against a fellow councillor”.

Of Press Conferences, Police Reports And Final Victory

Story Courtesy from Petpositive

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Of Press Conferences, Police Reports And Final Victory

LATEST: Disabled hawker received her license this morning from MBPJ!

WHAT an unbelievably action-packed seven days it was last week!

It was also a goldmine of learning experiences not only for me but for all the people involved.

Recall the incident of the five hawkers – one of them in a wheelchair – in the Taman Megah market in Petaling Jaya who were forcibly told to shift from their legally gotten slots that I wrote about last week?

Well that episode saw a total of three press conferences, including the making of police reports last week.

It was wonderful to see how the media and members of the general public turned up in support of the disabled woman named Shirley. The head of the resident’s association in her area also backed her fully.

The nearly forty-something woman is a true epitome of courage for anyone who is physically challenged.

Realising that she could no longer depend on her loving ageing parents, she took a giant leap towards independence by moving out of her home and renting a room near the market.

One of her previous landlord evicted her because she claimed that Shirley was bringing “back luck” to her home.

In her present place, Shirley needs about two hours to get ready in the mornings. She has to wheel herself with the strength of her arms for about 15 minutes through heavy traffic to get to her stall at 7am where she sells frozen stuff.

She has to do this six days a week for half a day through rain or shine.

There have been many times when she was totally drenched because she is not able to hold an umbrella and push her wheelchair at the same time.

On a good day Shirley can make about RM15 a day. On bad days, only RM6.

In appreciation of her real difficulties, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) decided to put her in a slot that was made specially for wheelchairs. It is next to the ramp to make it easier for her to access her lot.

However, it shocked me to discover the sort of excuses made by some unscrupulous elements just to get Shirley out so that they could occupy her place.

One of them was that the disabled toilet would be nearer to her if she shifted to the back. The fact is she has no problem where the toilet is now so why should it be an issue for anyone else, especially persons without disabilities themselves?

How would people who are not in wheelchairs know what is good or not good for people who are in them?

Another ludicrous suggestion is to break up the disabled-friendly slot and rebuild it at the back. Not only is this a total waste of tax-payers money but why put something in a place where the disabled doesn’t want it?

Wouldn’t it be better to use that good money to add another hawker market handicapped friendly?

This smacks of nothing but sheer arrogance on those behind this idea, if you ask me.

On a more positive note, good sense finally prevailed when about 15 disabled people turned up together with Shirley at Selangor Exco for a Caring Government Dr Xavier Jayakumar office on Monday last week.

He wisely directed that the status quo be maintained for all of the victimised hawkers.

Dr Xavier also kindly treated all of them to a good lunch at his office in good gesture as his department’s way of empathizing with their difficulties.

His sentiments were further echoed by the chief of all local councils in the state Ronnie Liu two days later who said the rights of minorities, especially the disabled should be protected at all times.

“People with disabilities not only need support, they also need an extra helping hand if they are to survive in a society that still largely doesn’t cater to their needs,” he told Wheel Power last Wednesday in his office at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam.

On a lighter note, I was in a couple of places also last week checking on wheelchair accessibility through my experience as chairman of MBPJ disability technical committee.

The first was Kelab Syabas swimming pool in Section 52 which is under my zone as MBPJ Councillor.

We managed to zero in on doors that weren’t suited for wheelchair-users in the shower rooms and steep ramps. The management promised to rectify them soon.

Mid Valley Megamall was the next stop.

The management’s staff and I managed to cover a lot of ground with some promising things to come in the near future in what is my favourite mall.

We had a hilarious ending when we came across a non disabled woman in a disabled-friendly toilet. She rushed out red-in-the-face with embarrassment to a dozen disapproving eyes.

I bet she won’t be caught doing that ever again!

The End

Councillor may face the sack

Councillor may face the sack PETALING JAYA (March 13, 2011): A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor is in hot soup following allegations that she abused her power in trying to get a disabled trader at the Taman Megah market to move to the back. Tiew Way Keng is currently the subject of two police reports and an MBPJ inquiry. If she is found to be at fault, she could face the sack. State government officials told theSun that any perceived abuse of power will be dealt with severely. “This is similar to the case of the other councillor who was sacked for issuing letters of support,” said a state official. He was referring to Klang councillors Tee Boon Hock of the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Hamidah Mad Som who were sacked for allegedly issuing letters of support to family and friends. For Tiew, however, it does not end there. It is understood that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has also opened a file on the case and could haul up the councillor for questioning. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the trader, Shirley Cha, 38, whom the councillor had claimed does not have a trader’s licence, will be issued with one tomorrow. “She will also be allowed to remain at the front row of the market, close to a ramp specially meant for wheelchair access,” said an MBPJ official, adding that there will be other initiatives taken to “right the wrongs” caused to Cha, especially when MBPJ is embarking on a disabled-friendly image. Wheelchair bound councillor Anthony Thanasayan was among those who had been championing for Cha, while state executive councillor for caring society Xavier Jeyajumar had also expressed concern over the matter. Cha and four other stallholders had claimed they were harassed by Tiew and other traders to move to stalls inside the market. This was despite the fact that their stalls were legally balloted, and Cha’s stall featuring disabled-friendly facilities. Tiew has since denied having intimidated the disabled woman and maintains her innocence, saying that Cha had initially agreed to the relocation. -- theSun

Updated: 12:14AM Mon, 14 Mar 2011