Disabled senator: Best wishes from PM, criticism from community

November 19, 2013

Physically challenged translator K Bathmavathi's appointment as a senator yesterday saw some leaders of the disabled community questioning the criteria used to pick her.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has sent greetings to K Bathmavathi, a physically challenged translator who took oath as senator yesterday.

“Selamat berkhidmat,” Najib said in his latest tweet attached with a message of the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim on the appointment.

Rohani in her Twitter account this morning thanked Najib for selecting Bathmavathi to represent people with disabilities in Malaysia.

Bathmavathi, 59, a member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (OKU) as well as is a writer and a freelance translator was appointed as OKU Senator to replace visually-impaired economist Prof Dr Ismail Md Salleh who died of a heart attack in 2009.

However other disabled community leaders were less forthcoming in welcoming Bathmavathi’s appointment.

Anthony Thanasayan, an MBPJ councillor, questioned Bathmavathi’s contributions towards the disabled community.

“It is a wrong choice made by the ministry to have her in as a representative for the disabled as she has poor track record in helping the disabled,” he told FMT.

“What is the criteria for the selection? Who did the ministry consult before making the appointment?” asked Thanasayan

Another disabled activist, Francis Siva, said his disabled group was not consulted while making the decision for the community’s representative in parliament.

“The government did not work with the grassroots people for the selection and it is the community which is suffering due to this,” said the president of Independent Living and Training Centre for the Disabled.

He added that the disabled community needed a representative in the parliament who can work at a grassroots level.

Roadside funeral for MIC man

B Nantha Kumar

 | November 18, 2013

Management won't allow rites within condo compound, says ex-youth chief T Mohan.

KUALA LUMPUR: A condominium management’s decision to prohibit a funeral ceremony has left the family and friends of the deceased fuming.

Lembah Pantai MIC division deputy chief A Subramaniam, 57, died on Saturday at the National Heart Institute (IJN) after being admitted there following a heart attack, which occurred at the MIC headquarters here. He was there to witness nominations for the election of the party’s central leadership.

Former MIC youth leader T Mohan, saying he was speaking on behalf of Subramaniam’s family, lashed out at the condominium management, accusing it of insensitivity to the feelings of the bereaved.

“Subramaniam’s remains have been placed by the roadside since 4pm yesterday,” he said. “It is utterly disgraceful that the family has to resort to putting up a tent to keep his body in wake at a roadside.”

Hundreds of mourners, who included politicians, NGO leaders and former national athletes, have gone to the tent to pay their last respects. The deceased once served as chairman of the Federal Territories Amateur Athletic Association.

The condominium is located at Jalan Kasipillay.

Mohan said the management should have at least provided a place in the high-rise condominium complex so that the family could conduct final rites for Subramaniam.

“I was told that a condominium unit here is about RM400,000, but these heartless people can’t even allocate a proper place for the family to keep Subramaniam’s remains,” he said.

“This is unacceptable and a gross violation of human rights.”

He said he wondered whether the prohibition of funeral rites applied only to Hindus.

He also questioned how Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) could have approved the construction a condominium without basic amenities such as a funeral hall.

“They should have ensured that all the facilities are there before giving the green light to build the condominium.”