Friday June 20, 2008

Disabled rep among 24 new city councillors in MBPJ
By DEBBIE CHAN and TAN KARR WEI

THE Petaling Jaya City Council will have, for the first time, representation from the disabled community on its board of councillors.

Animal Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association president Anthony Thanasayan is one of the 24 newly chosen councillors for the MBPJ.

Anthony has been fighting for the rights of the disabled community for years and his selection as a city councillor will definitely enhance the cause of the disabled in PJ.

“If it is true that I made it to the list, it's fantastic. We have always asked to be included in the decision-making process,” he said.

“We strongly believe in the motto 'Nothing about us without us'. We must be there to make the decisions,” the wheelchair-bound Anthony said.

Among the changes the plucky crusader would like to see are designated car parks for the disabled.

The list of new councillors includes some prominent names from the non-governmental organisations.

Two such persons are Suara Rakyat Malaysia executive director Cynthia Gabriel and Transparency International executive director Richard Yeoh.

Environment activist and lawyer Derek Fernandez, who has been making newspaper headlines for being vocal on various community issues, is also on the list.

The representation from community and NGOs is part of the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government’s move to include members of the public in the decision-making process and to tap their views and expertise for the benefit of the community.

The rest of the names on the list are members of the three Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners – PKR, DAP and PAS.

However, none of the coalition’s elected representatives, whether MPs or state assemblymen, had been appointed as councillors.

This is a change from the previous Barisan Nasional state government where most of the elected representatives are appointed as councillors.

Among the people named on the list is former StarMetro reporter Mak Khuin Weng.

“There are some issues I would like to look into, like condominiums and privatisation of contracts.

These are the things that I've been following up as a reporter,” Mak said.

He looks forward to working with the other councillors to help resolve issues affecting PJ while striving for transparency and accountability.

As a reporter, Mak has met many PJ residents and worked with former MBPJ councillors.

“I would be able to draw from their experience. I look forward to working with the other councillors,” he said.

NEW COUNCILLORS FOR PETALING JAYA

1. Mohd Halil Haji Harun – Petaling Jaya Utara PKR deputy chief
2. Syed Abdul Malik Syed A Hamid Al Jafree – Subang PKR deputy chief
3. Thiruvenggadam Aamuthu – Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR deputy chief
4. Halimey Abu Bakar – Kelana Jaya PKR Youth chief
5. Mahharul Ismail – Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR Secretary
6. Latheefa Koya – Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR treasurer
7. Tang Fuie Koh – Petaling Jaya Utara PKR treasurer
8. Dr Melasutra Md Dali – Urban planner
9. Michael Soon Kwai Choy – DAP
10. Mak Khuin Weng – DAP
11. Robert Tan Siang Chok – DAP
12. Tiew Way Keng – DAP
13. Francis Chang – DAP
14. Ahmad Yusof Ludis – PAS
15. Ghazali Shaari – PAS
16. Kamarudin Suhaimi – PAS
17. Muzammil Hafiz – PAS
18. Chan Chee Keong – Social activist
19. Richard Yeoh – Transparency International executive director
20. Anthony Thanasayan – Representative of the disabled community
21. Cynthia Gabriel – Suaram executive director
22. Derek Fernandez – Environment activist and lawyer
*23. Ramakrishnan Suppiah
*24. Paneer Sivam
* The last two names are yet to be confirmed.

The Star - Metro

Central

Tuesday June 17, 2008

Final background checks being done on councillors
By JADE CHAN

THE new local council line-up in Selangor will see PKR having the majority in terms of party representation.

Sources said PKR members would make up the majority of councillors in 10 out of the 12 local councils.

The party representation in the Selangor councillors line-up would be as follows: PKR 28.5% (82 councillors), DAP 26.4% (76 councillors) and PAS 17.0% (49 councillors), while the remaining 28.1% (81 councillors) would comprise representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), residents’ associations and professional groups.

The breakdown list, made available to StarMetro, showed the Petaling Jaya City Council, Subang Jaya Municpal Council and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council having the largest representation of non-political councillors.

Out of the 288 councillors, five would comprise those from the disabled group (orang kurang upaya or OKU).

The party representatives encompass senior division committee members who have strong leadership qualities as well as adequate experience and qualifications while those from NGO and professional groups comprise those who specialise in fields like urban planning, law, health and environment.

“None of the wakil rakyat’s assistants are on the councillors list. Nominated party members also cannot be involved in the construction business to avoid conflicts of interest,” a source said.

“On PKR’s side, we try to emphasise that each council has at least one Chinese and one Indian representative to reflect a multi-racial line-up.”

The source added that all the councillors’ performances would be reviewed after a year and those who had not performed would be replaced.

One of the reasons for the delay in announcing the new councillors line-up, the source said, was the early resignation of the previous batch of councillors.

“It was irresponsible of the Barisan Nasional side to have their councillors resign. The previous councillors should have completed their contracts and left once the new councillors were sworn in.”

Sources said final background checks are being conducted on the candidates and that the new line-up would be announced at the end of this week , during a celebration to mark the 100 days of the Pakatan Rakyat coming into power in Selangor.

It was also revealed that the mayors and presidents heading the present local councils would be retained, unless they resign, are unable to perform their jobs or if their contracts expired

Extra RM300 allowance for disabled workers

NST Online » Local News

2008/06/17

Extra RM300 allowance for disabled workers
By : Kristina George

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen meeting recipients of the excellence awards.

BANGI: The government yesterday announced an increase of RM300 in the monthly allowance for disabled workers. Currently, they receive RM750 a month.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said the move was aimed at motivating these workers further and helping them to be independent.

At a press conference after an excellence awards ceremony for agencies under her ministry, Ng said the move would further propel the disabled towards a "productive welfare era".

To deal with the rising inflation, the ministry has also proposed to increase the minimum household income for the hardcore poor from RM400 to RM700.

She hoped that more disabled people and the hardcore poor would register themselves with the Malaysian Community Welfare Department (MCWD).

Only those who are registered would be entitled to the benefits.

Presently, only 220,000 disabled and hardcore poor people have registered with the MCWD.

Ng disclosed that the government paid RM150 million last year to 150,000 people who were either disabled or hardcore poor and had registered with MCWD.

"They should register with the ministry if they do not want to miss out on the various benefits."

Ng presented excellence awards to 435 civil servants in recognition of their contributions.

The ministry's policy division assistant secretary S. Sharon Kumari, a recipient of the award, said she felt gratified in providing service to the public and helping to make a difference.

New breed of local councillors emerging

Saturday June 14, 2008

The Star - Metro

New breed of local councillors emerging
Valley ViewBy GEETHA KRISHNAN

THE current changed political scenario, especially in Selangor, has brought about a sort of grassroots political awakening involving a new perception and a holistic perspective on the role and scope of the local councils and councillors.

The Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171) Section 10 (2) states that “councillors of the local authority shall be appointed from among persons the majority of whom shall be persons ordinarily residents in the local authority area who in the opinion of the state authority have wide experience in local government affairs or who have achieved distinction in any profession, commerce or industry, or are otherwise capable of representing the interests of their communities in the local authority area”.

Section 10 (1) states that “the local authority shall consist of the mayor or president and not less than eight and not more than 24 other councillors to be appointed by the state authority”.

Section (3) stipulates that the term of office of each councillor shall not exceed three years while Section (6) states that a councillor shall be eligible for reappointment upon the expiry of his term of office.

Under previous state governments, it was a tradition of sorts for state assemblymen to be appointed as councillors.

“This was based on the understanding that assemblymen worked closely with local authorities in handling community issues and as such, maintained a better line of communication in dealings,” said a former assemblyman and councillor.

From a wider scope of things, their positions as councillors were clearly viewed as political appointments.

In the 1950s and 1960s, councillors were elected through local council elections but this came to what was supposed to be a temporary halt in 1963 due to the Indonesian Confrontation (Konfrantasi) against the formation of Malaysia.

Local council elections were eventually abolished in 1965 with an amendment to Section 15 of the Local Government Act.

Following the outcome of the 12th general election on March 8 this year, when the Barisan Nasional lost control of four states and failed to unseat the PAS state government in Kelantan, there have been calls to amend the Local Government Act to bring back local council elections.

In Selangor, the new Pakatan Rakyat state government has declared that elected
representatives would not be appointed local councillors in the two city councils (Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya) and 12 municipal councils in the state.

The Selangor state executive council, meanwhile, is going through a list of public nominees for councillors comprising professionals and representatives from the NGOs.

Under Section 28 of the Local Government Act, each local authority may, from time to time, appoint committees, either of a general or special nature, consisting of a chairman, councillors and such other persons as it may deem fit.

The new batch of councillors for the two city councils and 12 local councils in Selangor are also expected to sit in the relevant committees, rendering their expertise in areas like licensing, building, infrastructure and finance.

Each of the councillors of the previous administration used to serve in at least two to four committees.

Their selection to the committees is based on recommendations made by the state leaders of their respective political parties.

Section 28 also states that councillors shall be paid allowances determined by the local authority.

Contrary to general public perception, councillors are paid only a miserable monthly allowances ranging from RM500 to RM650. Not something to shout about!

An additional of RM50 or RM100 is paid for each attendance at the monthly full council meetings or a committee meeting.

According to a former councillor, each councillor was given an annual grant of RM10,000 to spend on projects in his or her area.

“But the amount was hardly sufficient for big projects.

“We usually organised gotong royong, talks and small community events and even had to fork out our own money for these events,” he said.

In the awarding of contracts, Section 34 (1) of the Local Government Act clearly states that any councillor with a pecuniary interest, whether direct or indirect, in any contract or proposed contract should withdraw from the meeting where the matter is under consideration.

There have been allegations from the public that the previous elected representatives strongly influenced decisions on the awarding of contracts in Selangor.

The present Pakatan Rakyat state government has recently announced that assemblymen and politically-appointed local councillors would no longer be allowed to sit on tender boards.

All that remains now is to keep our fingers crossed as the list is finalised and hope that better days are ahead for Selangor.

Selangor MB heads committee to select local councillors

Saturday June 14, 2008

The Star - Metro

Selangor MB heads committee to select local councillors

By ELAN PERUMAL

A SPECIAL high-profile committee headed by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has been formed to vet a list of 288 names nominated for local councillors of the 12 municipal and two city councils in the state.

The committee members include three state executive councillors – Ronnie Liu (local government and research), Datuk Hassan Mohamed Ali (Islamic affairs, Malay customs, infrastructure and public amenities) and Yaakob Sapari (agriculture, natural resources and entrepreneurial development).

“The committee is looking through the names of all those nominated to ensure that they are appointed on merit and not due to cronyism and nepotism,” Khalid said.

“There have been rumours and allegations that we are appointing our friends to the local councils and this committee is tasked with ensuring that such a scenario is not happening,” he said.

According to Khalid, the appointment of the councillors, especially those under the NGO quota, would be based only on merit and not on favouritism.

He said the committee would study carefully all individuals proposed so that only those suitable were appointed.

Khalid said the names of those recommended by the committee and endorsed by the state executive council would be announced by June 20.

Khalid said the Pakatan Rakyat state government would appoint only those who were qualified and able to perform.

He said the people expected a lot from the local councillors and those appointed should be able to perform with excellence and transparency.

“We know it used to be very rewarding under the previous state government to be appointed as local councillors in the various municipalities and city councils,” he said.

“But I can assure you that from now on, the job of a local councillor would not be a glamorous one with a lot of perks, financial gains and benefits,” he said.

Khalid said that those appointed councillors would be required to serve with dedication and sincerity.

Liu said he endorsed the mentri besar’s decision and felt that the vetting committee would enhance the merit of being appointed a local councillor.

“It is good for the government and the people,” he said.

PETPOSITIVE AT THE WOMEN, FAMILY & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

PETPOSITIVE AT THE WOMEN, FAMILY & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY

PETPOSITIVE received a last-minute telephone call and fax from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in Kuala Lumpur requesting for us to be present at a meeting at 4.30pm in the building with the Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

The call was made on Monday at noon. I immediately made a call to Francis Siva, President of the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor and the next thing I knew, we were all at the Ministry by 3.30pm.

Petpositive was also represented by Stanislaus Anthony who is a person with walking difficulties. The meeting was held to discuss what special measures in terms of finance was needed for the disabled community in the light of the price hikes that the Government introduced last week.

Representatives of nearly a dozen disabled organisations - together with ours - were also present as we deliberated for two-and-the-half-hours with the Ministry, as well as the Welfare Department about our needs.

The disabled unanimously suggested that a financial aid of RM500 a month be given to all disabled persons - whether they have cars or not.
He also suggested that the same help be given to our family caregivers.

There were other suggestions too. Some suggested that the current excise duty for the purchase of cars for the disabled be done away with.
Others wanted significant cuts in Internet bills so that all disabled persons can afford them.Dr Ng Yen Yen was quick to concur by saying that the Internet was a "necessity" for the handicapped.

Dr Ng also invited the disabled to give their frank feedback regarding the services they receive from her Ministry as well as that of the Welfare.

She promised that quick action will be taken to our requests.The meeting ended with the Minister requesting all the participants to send in their final proposals within the week.

She will then take our requests to the Ministry of Finance, she said, and lobby for our cause.
Well, let's keep our fingers crossed everybody, that something good and helpful will come out of the meeting to help us all.One of the things that I was personally disappointed was that no date or follow up meeting was decided on when we left the building.

Let's hope that we will all be called again to the Ministry so that we can effectively tackle many of the other issues that plague the disabled in our Malaysian society.The meeting was attended by the physically handicapped, the blind, Deaf and a parent or two of the disabled.

PETPOSITIVE was quick to point out that the group present only represented a small section of the disabled.

Others like persons with Parkinson's disease, stroke sufferers, diabetics who became disabled were not present and that all of these persons and more need to be sought to help improve their quality of lives as well.

Yen Yen: Disabled need help in facing price hikes

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

News
Home > News > Nation

Yen Yen: Disabled need help in facing price hikes

KUALA LUMPUR: The disabled need help in facing the challenges and difficulties of global inflation, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

The ministry, at its dialogue yesterday with various organisations representing the disabled, touched on several issues which could affect their lives as a result of the recent price hikes of goods and materials.

Dr Ng said the majority of the disabled did not earn much.

“The global inflation will definitely affect them.

One for the album: Dr Ng (centre, in white) taking a group photo with Wanita MCA members (seated from left) Chew Poh Thoi, Datuk Chang Yok Ying, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun and Yayasan Nanyang Press executive director Ann Woo. At back row (from left) are Carol Chew, Datuk Kian Sit Har, Sarryan Cho of Yayasan Nanyang Press and Chew Lee Geok.

In fact, 98% of these people earn less than RM3,000 a month,” she said after receiving 500 tickets for Disney's Beauty and the Beast – The Broadway Musical, courtesy of show organiser Yvents!

The tickets will be distributed to various homes under the ministry's purview.

Among the issues highlighted at the dialogue were for a reduction in excise duty and no road tax for all cars owned by the disabled.

At present, road tax is free for all national cars owned by the disabled.

“We are getting input from these organisations on how we (Government) can work together to help reduce the challenges faced,” she said.

Other issues include enhancement of the transport system as well as reduction in toll rates.

“There is a need to work out how we can give them a definite support system,” Dr Ng said, adding that at present families who were looking after a handicapped or chronically-ill person were given RM300 per family.

“The organisations have asked for an increase in the amount,” she said.

Dr Ng said her ministry would study the input provided before submitting a proposal to the Finance Ministry.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast – The Broadway Musical will be held from June 24 to July 3 at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

For booking details, contact Ticketcharge at 03-2241 9999 or Yvents! at 03-2287 2811.

The Star is the official newspaper for the musical.

All New Policies To Be Streamlined - Dr Ng

General

June 03, 2008 17:40 PM

All New Policies To Be Streamlined - Dr Ng

SANDAKAN, June 3 (Bernama) -- The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will streamline all the new policies introduced and these will also be implemented in Sabah and Sarawak.

Its minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said this was to ensure that all the target groups in every corner of the country could benefit from the implementation of the policies.

"The streamlining of the policies is in line with the ministry's effort to transform its welfare programmes throughout the country that will involve upgrading of services," she told reporters after visiting a care centre for disabled children here Tuesday.

She said the working papers on the matter were ready and would be tabled before the cabinet soon.

"Among the policies to be streamlined is on the aid scheme for the disabled, senior citizens and single mothers.

"For example, the allowance for caring for family members with chronic illness or who are disabled only covers Peninsular Malaysia currently. "

So too is the assistance scheme for single mothers and their children where the amount given by the federal government and the state governments is not the same," she added.

In another development, Dr Ng said a review was needed on placing of the disabled, senior citizens and mental patients in the care centres to ensure that they were housed at the right institutions with suitable facilities and staff to care for them.

"This is because some of the disabled and senior citizens at the welfare homes or care centres have mental problems and suffer from other diseases as well. "

The old folk's homes and care centres for the disabled are only meant for these groups of people and not for those with mental disease," she explained.

Dr Ng said she had informed the Health Ministry about the matter and would hold further discussions on it. -- BERNAMA

Empowering the disabled

Thursday June 5, 2008

The Star Two - Wheel Power

Empowering the disabled
Wheel PowerBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The wheelchair-bound learn the art of self-defence.

ABOUT 50 disabled persons took part in a most unusual workshop in Kuala Lumpur a fortnight ago. The majority of the participants – in wheelchairs and some with artificial limbs – who turned up at the Commonwealth Hall in Bukit Jalil where the event was held began their first session by punching each other and learning to fall off their wheelchairs.

“It was one of the wildest moments that I had ever experienced,” said a gleeful Gurdip Kaur – better known as Rina – to Wheel Power last week.

“When our members enrolled to participate in the self-defence workshop, we had no idea how it was going to be conducted,” confessed Rina, from the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor.

“Although the four-day workshop sessions from May 20 to 23 left us with aching bodies in the end, it was all worth it,” she said, beaming from ear to ear.

Rina, who also serves as the secretary for the ILTC, added that what made the workshop even more interesting was the fact that it was conducted by a woman in a wheelchair herself.

The person in question was Lydia La Riviere Zijdel. She is an educational trainer on violence against disabled people from the Netherlands.

According to Rina, the Dutch expert became a paraplegic after she met with a car accident in 1982. She also uses a hearing aid owing to a chronic infection that she has.

Nearing 60 years of age, Lydia has black belts in three self-defence arts: Aikido, Karate and Shuri-Ryu.

The eight-hour workshop that started at 10am was organised by the National Sports Council of Malaysia.

Even though it was specifically a self-defence workshop for girls and women with disabilities, handicapped men were also among the participants.

The sessions began with participants forming a circle. Each was asked to introduce themselves.
According to Rina, some were shy and did not say much because of the language barrier.

Fortunately, Lydia had a Bahasa Malaysia translator on hand.

“We were first asked to box one another gently,” said Rina, who has been using a wheelchair for 15 years following a fall from a two-storey building.

“Then we were asked to shout out as we executed each physical action that we had been taught,” Rina went on.

The disabled participants were showed how they could effectively break out of a position if they were attacked from behind with an elbow lock to their neck.

“We were taught how to put our arms around our attacker’s neck. Doing so will inevitably cause us to be separated from our wheelchairs.

“However, we were instructed to hold on tight to our assailant and then deal a sharp blow with our elbows to his chest.

“This will at once release his grip on us,” Rina explained.

The participants were also given numerous demonstrations on a variety of other “attack” actions and how to counter them in their wheelchairs.

One of them was how to break the steely grip of someone grabbing their wrists.

Pillows were brought in to encourage disabled persons to use their fists to protect themselves.

When they were not fighting, they were separated into smaller groups to solve problems through simulated sessions.

One of the sessions was what to do if your car breaks down on a lonely road. (A good answer is to prevent such a thing from happening in the first place by always ensuring that their vehicles are properly maintained.)

Other situations include how to make complaints effectively, for example, if a supermarket tried to make disabled patrons enter through the back instead of using the front entrance.

“All in all, the entire workshop was not only absorbing all the way but also extremely empowering for disabled persons,” said Rina.

“The lack of disabled-friendly facilities and support systems in our society make us vulnerable, especially as women with handicaps.

“Even the building where the workshop was conducted had a four-inch step to the toilet which made things unnecessarily difficult for us,” she added.

“Some of the volunteers who were available were also not properly trained in handling wheelchairs, which was frustrating.”

However, Rina said that the the workshop was good in that disabled people had the chance to meet others like themselves and that each participant was given a daily allowance of RM70 per day during the workshop.

“With public transportation still not conducive for disabled Malaysians, this helped a lot by at least making it possible for them to attend the event,” she concluded.

According to Rina, Lydia will be back in November to conduct more sessions.

For further information, contact the ILTC (03-6093 6292) or e-mail iltcmalaysia@gmail.com

Petrol Price Hike: Killer Tsunami For The Disabled - Malaysiakini

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Malaysiakini

Petrol Price Hike: Killer Tsunami For The Disabled - Malaysiakini

The drastic 40 percent rise in petrol price and 64 percent increase in diesel price, effective midnight, is seen as a “killer tsunami” and a “catastrophe”.

MCPXMotorists and motorcyclists will pay RM2.70 and RM2.58 for a litre of petrol and diesel respectively.Social activists, political analysts and consumer groups have their say.

Anthony Thanasayan, coordinator, Malaysians Against Discrimination of the Disabled

This is a terrible tsunami for the disabled. We have suffered enough from several fuel hikes before this. The disabled are forgotten by the government. The last fuel hike saw assistance to some groups but the disabled were forgotten.

We can only be independent if we are able to leave our house. How are we supposed to be independent if the fuel price keeps going up? Some of us have managed to get our own cars, and that’s a great. But increasing the fuel price will result in the cars becoming white elephants.

Previous hikes may be tsunamis but this one is a killer. The government will have compensate us immediately. I suggest a rebate of about RM500 for each disabled person. (Former premier) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) was a little more considerate.

A few years ago, he waived road tax for the disabled. (Prime Minister) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) has to understand the disadvantages that the disabled face.

Human rights activist Zaiton dies

Thursday June 5, 2008

Human rights activist Zaiton dies

SHAH ALAM: Human and women’s rights activist Zaiton Kasim (pic) passed away at 5am yesterday, after months of battling cancer. She was 41.

Zaiton, affectionately known as Toni, died in her sleep at her sister’s home in Batu Tiga, Shah Alam.

She was laid to rest at 1pm at the Batu Tiga Muslim cemetery.

Her peers described her as “witty, passionate, a wonderfully caring person, one who had an infectious smile and a great sense of humour, a defender of human rights, and one whose heart and soul was in her advocacy”.

Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (Arrow) director Saira Shameem said she was “multi-diverse and a very strong lady”.

“She was involved in so many things – film, TV, drama, human rights advocacy, women’s rights, Islam, AIDS and so many other issues.

“Toni was the kind of person who never said no to any challenge, especially if it was about helping others,” she said.

Among the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Zaiton was involved in was Sisters-in-Islam (SIS), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Joint Action Committee (JAC), Arrow and Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI), where she became the first independent woman candidate to run in the 1999 general election.

“She contested for the Selayang seat. She didn’t win, but she reduced the majority-vote by 30,000.

“She was planning to run again in the recent general election, but she was already ill then,” Saira said.

Zaiton was diagnosed with fourth-stage duodenal cancer in February, and underwent chemotherapy once. She also practised reiki as an alternative treatment.

Women’s Aid Organisation president Meera Samanther said the best thing about Zaiton was her ability to relate and reach out to the “everyday folks”.

“She had that knack and ability that not many people have,” she said.

SIS programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi said Zaiton’s passing was “a great loss to all of us”.

“Advocacy was her life,” she added.

Another burden for us, say the disabled

Thursday June 5, 2008

The Star - News

Another burden for us, say the disabled

PETALING JAYA: The disabled are unhappy with the fuel price increase because many of them, especially those who are wheelchair-bound, are also drivers and it is inconvenient for them to take public transport.

“The disabled, who are weighed down with expensive medical bills, will be further burdened with the increase in the price of petrol,” said Anthony Thanasayan, president of the Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association.

Some of the disabled pay RM300 a month in medical bills and a good wheelchair costs about RM5,000, he added.

He said the disabled spent a large portion of their income on petrol, adding that the association had repeatedly asked the Government for a RM500 monthly allowance for each disabled individual, but had yet to receive a positive answer.

“Now is as good a time as any for the Government to grant us this monthly allowance, considering the significant rise in the petrol price,” he said.

Three months on, Selangor councillors list still not finalised

Tuesday June 3, 2008

Three months on, Selangor councillors list still not finalised

THE Selangor government’s delay in finalising the list of councillors for the 12 local authorities in the state is causing unnecessary problems.

It has been almost three months since the general election yet the new list of 288 councillors for Selangor has yet to be finalised. StarMetro has learnt that all local authorities in Selangor were supposed to have conducted swearing-in ceremonies yesterday, but at the last minute, the state government called it off.

This is ridiculous. The councillors should have been sworn in at the end of April or May at the latest. We do not understand why the state government is delaying the announcement,” an officer in the Shah Alam City Council said on condition of anonymity.

Because of the delay, none of the local councils have held the monthly full board meetings, which are crucial for the day-to-day administration of the municipalities and city councils, the officer said, adding that even the standard committee meetings that require councillors, like finance, planning and infrastructure were not being held.

According to a state government official, the delay in the appointment of the councillors is due to the difficulty in coming to a mutual agreement on the allocation of seats between the Pakatan Rakyat members namely PKR, DAP and PAS.

“The appointment for those from the NGO and professional groups is straight-forward but for those from the political parties, it is quite problematic as three parties are still haggling on the number of councillors posts” the official said.

Among those who would be appointed as councillors are lawyers, NGO leaders, doctors, academics, journalists and retired government officials.

The official said lawyer Derek Fernandez, Malaysians Against the Discrimination of the Disabled coordinator Anthony Thanasayan and Independent Living and Training Centre secretary Gurdip Kaur are among those tipped to be appointed as local councillors.

“We need a diverse group of professionals and experts to lend their expertise to serve a society which demands not only prompt service from the local governments but also transparency and accountability for the use of ratepayers’ money,” the official said.

The list would also include ex-policemen, former magistrates and retired Anti-Corruption Agency officers.

The ratio of women serving in the councils would also be higher to reflect the Pakatan Rakyat government’s commitment to ensure women have an adequate say at the grassroots level.

Though the final list for the 288 local councillors to serve the 12 local authorities in Selangor is ready, last-minute lobbying, especially from politicians, has forced Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to delay the announcement.

More than 1,000 applications were received two months ago by the Selangor government to fill the posts.

SS2 Residents Association president Lim Theng Kau said the delay did not affect him but he was looking forward to the announcement.

Resident Jack Nadarajah said the new state government seemed to be taking a long time to announce the list of councillors.

“Though it is important to appoint the best, the state government should not delay naming the councillors as it may affect the overall running of the councils, “ said Nadarajah

Malaysiakini: A BIG BOUQUET TO SULTAN OF SELANGOR

Monday, June 02, 2008

Malaysiakini: A BIG BOUQUET TO SULTAN OF SELANGOR

Today's Malaysiakini Letter:

The Malaysian Animal-assisted Therapy for the Disabled and the Elderly Association (PetPositive) would like to applaud the Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah from the bottom of our hearts for his most timely call to make our public gardens friendly to all Malaysians with handicaps.

The sultan mentioned the disabled’s plight when he ordered the Klang Royal Garden landscape consultant - Tajul Landart - to scrap a number of items costing RM7.5mil, saying it was a waste of public funds.

The fact that the Selangor Sultan stopped to consider the needs of the handicapped when most people and local governments seem to only care about development at any cost shows what a truly caring leader Tuanku is.

His timely call and forward-thinking view will contribute significantly to how people will view the handicapped from now on. They should never be seen as persons who are punished by God, or as ‘patients’, ‘sick persons’ or ‘charity cases’ for the rest of their lives.

Taking the cue from our royalty, people can now start to see disabled Malaysians as also equal citizens who should be given the same rights and facilities to enjoy public recreational parks like others.

All recreational parks should be completely wheelchair-friendly and must provide disabled- friendly toilets. Playgrounds for children must be made with special facilities that disabled children can also use them. (Such facilities are commonly available overseas and our local governments should make an effort to bring them here too.)

Wheelchairs should also be provided for persons with walking difficulties or the elderly who may require them. Special consideration should also be given to pets that play a positive role in the lives of disabled persons. Recreational parks that currently disallow dogs and other animals should be willing to make exceptions to their rule.

Dogs can help the blind find their way about independently. They can help wheelchair-users to by pulling them along. They can help epileptics when they have an attack, by warning them of an oncoming attack and staying by their side until the episode is over. Canines are also a deterrent for crime and provide comfort and happiness for the elderly.

The writer is president, PetPositive.

Self Defence Workshop

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

SELF DEFENCE WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN/GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES held on 20th - 23rd May 2008 organized by National Sports Council of Malaysia at Commonwealth Hall, Bukit Jalil.

10 ILTC members were invited to participate to the above event.
Lydia Ia Riviere Zijdel is a head of Instructor for Karate and Aikido (born in the Netherlands) is active with the Disability Women's Movement.

Lydia is active with disabled women in practice in sports. She has taught over the past 20 years more than 7,000 disabled girls and women self-defence martial arts, empowerment and mobility and survival trainings.

ILTC members had an opportunities to learn basic-techniques of how to self defence themselves.


For the past 4 days training in different self defence techniques that will be used in the Physical Training: wheelchair techniques, crutch-techniques, techniques with blind stick, How to work with learning disabled women.


In this workshop, Gurdip Kaur @ Rina said, she has learned many techniques how to defence herself. It was very interesting workshop whereby every disabled women should be participate in up coming event in November 2008 in Malaysia.

Consultant told to scrap frills in royal garden project

The Star - Metro
Home > Metro > Central

Tuesday May 27, 2008

Consultant told to scrap frills in royal garden project
Story and photos by EDWARD RAJENDRA

SELANGOR Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has ordered the Klang Royal Garden landscape consultant Tajul Landart to scrap two arches, a minaret, watch tower, souvenir kiosk and decorative lightings costing RM7.5mil, saying it was a waste of public funds.

Sultan Sharafuddin who is known for his no-nonsense attitude, ticked off the consultant for proposing the lavish frills that pushed the 6.3ha public garden project to an exorbitant RM11mil.

Now it cost just RM3.5 mill after the unnecessary frills were erased from the plan.

The Sultan had advised the consultants, National Landscape Department and Klang Municipal Council's Garden and Recreation Department director Muhammad Hijaz Sanusi to create a garden with a soul.

Hijaz said the Sultan devotes his time to givevaluable inputs so that the people can enjoy an urban oasis within the hustle and bustle of the township.

The Klang Royal Garden, scheduled to be open to the public in October this year, is sandwiched between Jalan Tengku Kelana, Jalan Istana Baru and Jalan Istana.

Part of it can be seen opposite the Our Lady of Lourdes Church where a fountain built a few years ago would be retained as part of the landscape together with the 80-year-old rainforest trees.

“The Sultan also wants the garden area friendly for the physically challenged.

Garden with a soul: Part of the Klang Royal Garden with the designated children’s playground (left) and fountain.

“People are going to love this green area as it will have a jogging track, gazebo, two open air plazas, outdoor fitness station, children's playground and park benches,” Hijaz added.

He said the garden would have about 18 species of flowering and fruit trees.

“Among the tree species to be planted are African Tulip, Tekoma, Putat and Tembusu. (These trees were chosen as Tuanku as he wanted trees that are easily maintained and attract birds,” he said.

The Star - Lifestyle
Home > Lifestyle > Focus

Thursday May 29, 2008

Taking flight

Wheel PowerBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

It is getting easier for disabled persons to travel by air but this does not mean that all flights are problem-free.

IT HAS been sometime since I last travelled in an aeroplane. Most of my experiences in an aircraft, both local and overseas, have been positive ones, except for an occasional glitch.

Once I was wheeled all the way to the entrance of the aircraft, only to be stopped in my tracks and asked by the crew to get out of my wheelchair and walk to my cabin seat. For those who are unaware, regular wheelchairs are too big to fit into the narrow aisles of the aircraft.

Normally, disabled passengers at the check-in counters are asked to switch wheelchairs and get into the airport’s specially-designed compact ones which can negotiate the narrow cabin space.

I do not blame the poor fellows for asking me to do the impossible. There are many people who use wheelchairs but they are able to walk. They use wheelchairs because of old age or difficulty in walking long distances.

Having said that, it would be a good idea for airlines to take the trouble to find out the level of handicap of each disabled passenger before they board the plane. This would save both the crew and disabled passengers, a great deal of awkwardness and embarrassment.

Some of the customer care staff who answer the telephone are not knowledgeable about available services for disabled passengers.

Last weekend, I rang up a local airline and enquired about a flight that I wanted to take from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. When the officer heard that I was in a wheelchair, she said there was no way I could travel by myself.

“You have to get someone to accompany you because our airlines will not provide any assistance for you,” she said.

When I asked her if she was absolutely sure about her facts, she gave me a totally different response when she came back on the line after making me wait for 15 minutes.

Though it is getting easier for disabled persons to travel by air, thanks to increasing awareness about their specific needs, it does not mean that all flights are problem-free. Some airlines charge the handicapped for the use of wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

Others come up with unfair policies that require disabled passengers to sign permission and indemnity forms before they can travel.

Well-known disability organisations like the Canadian-based Disabled People’s International (DPI) highlighted these concerns recently by pointing out that airlines that resorted to such practices lacked respect and appreciation for what the disabled have to go through in life.

Quoting New Delhi’s aviation ministry as a good example, DPI pointed out the new rules that took effect on May 7. The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) states that “airlines and airports must provide wheelchairs or other assistive devices free of cost to users.”

It is now mandatory for every airport operator to make appropriate provisions, including ambulifts, to enable disabled passengers to embark or disembark without inconvenience.

DPI went on to say that airlines have also been asked not to turn away a passenger with a disability. They have been told “not to insist on medical clearance or special forms unless they have information that the passengers suffer from some contagious disease or would require attention during flight to maintain their health.”

The DPI also included a report from the Times of India that the handicapped who use service dogs will now be able to have their companions travel with them on the plane, without charge.

The rule only applies to canines that guide humans “with disability and/or reduced mobility”.

The animal, however, needs to be well-trained in order not to inconvenience other passengers.

BBC ONLINE: UN Disability Treaty

Saturday, May 31, 2008

BBC ONLINE: UN Disability Treaty

At-a-glance: UN disability treaty

The UN is expected to agree a new treaty giving greater rights to disabled people around the world.

Here is an at-a-glance guide to the draft United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

• Participating countries to change laws and ban discriminatory customs and practices


• Disabled people to have an equal right to life


• Equal rights for disabled women and girls


• Protection for children with disabilities


• A right to own and inherit property, to control financial affairs and have equal access to financial services


• Disabled people not to be deprived of their liberty "unlawfully or arbitrarily"


• Medical or scientific experiments without consent to be banned


• An end to enforced institutionalisation


• Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse


• A right to privacy and access to medical records


• Countries to remove barriers to accessing the environment, transport, public facilities and communication


• A right to independent living


• Essential equipment to be made affordable


• A right to an adequate standard of living and social protection


• An end to discrimination relating to marriage, family and personal relationships


• Equal access to education


• An end to discrimination in the job market


• A right to equal participation in public life


• A right to participate in cultural life


• Developing countries to be assisted to put the convention into practice
  

End

Malaysiakini: Stop Exploiting The Disabled

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Malaysiakini: Stop Exploiting The Disabled

QUICK COMMENT: Here is our interview with Malaysiakini. We sincerely hope that Parliament House will finally get the message! And that is, stop exploiting the disabled for your own ends!

aNtPET+BLOGSPOT

From Malaysiakini today

BE ASHAMED, DISABLED ACTIVIST TELLS PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

Disability activist Anthony Thanasayan has expressed shock and disappointment on comments made by Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia on rights’ group actions using the parliament lobby to garner support.

“I’m sad and I can’t believe he has the audacity to make such remarks,” said Anthony, coordinator of Malaysians Against Discrimination of the Disabled (Madd).

On Thursday, the House speaker said the lobby is a place for parliamentarians to work and not for groups to voice their political agendas.

He also noted that all political matters should to be dealt outside the Parliament.

One event that came under fire from the speaker was the birthday celebration of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson P Waythamoorthy's daughter W Vwaishhnnavi, 6, on May 21.

The speaker also raised concerns over the presence of Madd representatives on May 8 demanding an apology from Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali for comments targeted at wheelchair bound Karpal Singh, DAP chairperson and Bukit Gelugor MP.

Highlighting the lax security in Parliament, the speaker said he would be writing to all political party leaders to make sure certain such events are not repeated.

Responding to this, Anthony opined: “It’s despicable to say children and handicapped people are a security threat.

“What's more patronizing is to say we were used by the opposition for their own cause. If you are a decent human being, you would never resort to use other people’s weaknesses,” he said emphasising the opposition did not influence Madd’s appearance in Parliament.

“Does he think we have no brains? He should know we have more brains than him. We will not allow others to use us for their political mileage.

“They (Pakatan Rakyat) were the only ones to approach us and converse with us. Not the Barisan representatives. Parliament should give voiceless masses a chance to voice out, not reprimand us,” he added.

Other issues also raisedHe stressed Parliament should hurry the amendment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2007 to include penalties against those who breach its provisions.

“Currently the act is made up of sweet words but nothing in there is effective,” he said.

Anthony also raised various other issues such as the absence of designated parking lots and lack of appropriate amenities in Parliament for disable persons.

“Parliament should be ashamed, our legislative assembly is a disgrace. The ramp used by those who are wheelchair bound is equivalent to the ones used to (deliver) goods.

“Even shopping malls have better facilities catered to the handicapped,” he said.

During the past weeks since Parliament started, civil society groups have used the august house to highlight their grouses and host various gatherings.

These include women’s rights, Malaysian Trade Union Congress and the migration working group.

End

Hypermarket chain offers jobs to handicapped

Wednesday May 21, 2008

Metro
Home > Metro > Central

Hypermarket chain offers jobs to handicapped
By MEERA DEVI DARAN

CARREFOUR Malaysia is extending a hand to the disabled community by offering jobs.

The move is in line with the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme that seeks to create equality in the workplace by putting an end to the prejudice and discrimination often experienced by the disabled community.

A registration counter was set up in Carrefour's head office in Subang Jaya recently to invite the disabled for interviews. By the end of the day, 28 disabled people had submitted their resumes.

Carrefour Malaysia/Singapore managing director Shafie Shamsuddin said the company would adapt to the needs of the disabled so that they could perform tasks within their capacity.

More opportunities: Shafie (centre) speaking to a potential employee while Ras Adiba (right) looks on

Also present at the gathering were Carrefour Malaysia public relations and CSR director Ras Adiba Radzi, human resource director Fauzi Hassan, marketing and communications director Sivakumar Haridass and representatives of Malaysian associations for the disabled.

The employment programme is a collaborative effort with associations such as The Bravehearts of K9, a non-governmental organisation that supports people with spinal cord injuries, the Independent Training Living Centre, the Society of the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Persatuan Orang-orang Pekak Malaysia, and Persatuan Keluarga dan Interaksi Orang Kurang Upaya.

Referring to the challenges faced by disabled people, Shafie spoke at length about personal mobility and the psychological barrier that existed between the handicapped and the society.

“We hire talented people for their abilities, not their disabilities,” said Shafie.

He went on to say that his experiences in working with the disabled had taught him that society was underutilising the resources available.

Carrefour Malaysia targets a minimum of 5% employment for the handicapped by the year 2012.

The multinational company has a staff strength of 4,000, of whom 21 have physical disabilities.

To achieve its vision of a level playing field for the disabled, the company will design a two-week adaptation programme for new employees and allocate funds from the Carrefour Foundation to provide adequate transport facilities for those in need.

Applications may be made to the Director of Human Resource, No. 3 Jln SS 16/1, 47100 Subang Jaya, Selangor or via e-mail to talentmy@carrefour.com. For more details, visit Carrefour's website at http://www.carrefour.com/.

SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT MR SENATOR!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

MALAYSIA'S FIRST DISABLED SENATOR Prof Dr Ismail Mohd Salleh, should have shown his support for YB Karpal Singh in Parliament instead of remaining silent.

This was what more than half of readers opined in a PET+BLOGSPOT POLL recently.

They were reacting to the incident in April 30 last month when the DAP leader - in a wheelchair - was ridiculed by two Members of Parliament when they asked why he did not stand up first before addressing the House.

One of the MP is an Independent whilst the other is from Barisan.

The incident infuriated the disabled community - including Petpositive. It led the Society to jointly organise a memorandum handing-over event in Parliament House on the eighth of this month.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, Ismail who is also adviser to the Prime Minister on matters regarding the disabled, commented that what had happened to Karpal was not a disabled issue.

His response has been condemned by Petpositive and the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor. Both leaders of the NGOs are longtime wheelchairs users.

"It is a disgrace that of all persons, a disabled senator, should say such a thing," said Anthony Thanasayan, leader of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association."

Ismail should vacate his position immediately and let someone else represent our needs in Parliament," echoed Francis Siva, president of the self-help support NGO ILTC.

Thirty three percent of the voters thought that Ismail who is also president of the Malaysian Association for the Blind, should speak up more for concerns of disabled people in Malaysia.

And equal number of respondents also called for his immediate resignation over the Karpal issue.
They said his silence and lackadaisical attitude proved that he was inept for his position.

Some accused him of being only concerned about the blind.However, PET+BLOGSPOT has received complaints from a number of blind individuals who say that Ismail has yet to raise any of their issues at all since his appointment as senator on December 19 of last year.

Only two voters thought that Ismail was doing a good job and that he should continue doing what he is currently doing.PETPOSITIVE SAYS: Well, dear Senator, as they say, you better shape up real soon or get ready to ship out!

aNtPET+BLOGSPOT

Rodziah Ismail And The Disabled

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Rodziah Ismail And The Disabled

QUICK COMMENT: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES have always been campaigning for their right to be included in matters involving them.

Last Thursday, seven representatives from two well-known societies for the disabled (and the elderly) met up with the newly appointed Selangor welfare, women’s affairs, science, technology and innovation committee chairman Rodziah Ismail to highlight their concerns.

The one-hour meeting held in Shah Alam was initiated by Petpositive and coordinated by the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor.

Raising the awareness of the disabled and elderly among local councils is one of the objectives of Petpositive.

We also highlighted the usefulness of animal-assisted therapy for handicapped and elderly people to YB Rodziah Ismail.

She was very receptive to the idea and pointed out to us that she had several cats of her own which play a therapeutic role in her life.

Petpositive was represented by Anthony Thanasayan and Captain Abdul Karim Stuart Russell.

From the ILTC were Francis Siva (president), Gurdip Kaur (secretary), and three other members.

Immediately after our meeting, Star reporter Jade Chan conducted her interview with the YB.

Here is her report that came out on StarMetro on Saturday:

aNtPET+BLOGSPOT

Meeting with Selangor Welfare, Women's Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee Chairman Y.B. Rodziah Ismail

Saturday, May 17, 2008

SELANGOR welfare women's affairs science, technology and innovation committee chairman Y.B. Rodziah Ismail have invited two disabled organization (Petpositive & ILTC) leaders to have further discussion on relevent issues on disabilities in state of Selangor on 15th May 2008 at her office in Shah Alam.

The main issues of this meeting to proposed and include a proper representative from the disabled group in the councillor line up for Selangor - OKU representative.

We hope that, the NGO's representative candidates will represent the disabled as well.

We had shared our sincere views and expectation to YB. for more than 45 minutes successfully.

Disabled rep in councillor line-up proposed

The Star - Metro
Home > Metro > Central

Saturday May 17, 2008

Disabled rep in councillor line-up proposed
By JADE CHAN

SELANGOR welfare, women’s affairs, science, technology and innovation committee chairman Rodziah Ismail is proposing to include a representative from the disabled group (orang kurang upaya or OKU) in the councillor line-up for Selangor.

In fact, she has already come up with 15 names

“Ideally, there should be an OKU representative in each councillor line-up.

“If there aren't enough qualified candidates, the next best would be a representative from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that represents the OKU group.

“My focus right now is to start with the local governments in urban areas like Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and Klang Municipal Council, followed by those in rural areas,” she said.

Rodziah said a trip to a fast food chain sparked the idea for her proposal.

Though the outlet provided a ramp and parking space for the disabled, she said that the ramp was steep and slippery, and the parking space was too far from the outlet's entrance.

“We want to educate the local governments to not only have disabled-friendly facilities, but to make sure these infrastructure can be used effectively and benefits the OKU,” said Rodziah.

“What the people must understand is that the OKU is not asking for sympathy. They want to be independent and most prefer to function unaided.”

Among the requirements Rodziah said she looked into are the candidates' background, resume and ability to speak up on behalf of the OKU.

• According to her, the representative's role in the council includes:
  acting as a pressure group for new project developments to meet certain code of ethics and OKU specifications


• finding out the places that are the focus of OKUs (buildings, recreational places, markets, medical centres, banks) and evaluating its facilities


• reviewing all existing facilities for the OKU and restructuring them if necessary, while making sure they're properly utilised
  
• looking into setting a community centre that caters to the OKU's needs, including an IT centre and library.

“There is a lot of infrastructure to look into, including roads, ramps, lifts, public transport and guide blocks for the blind.

“Besides catering for the disabled, having such facilities would also benefit senior citizens and people with temporary injuries that limit their mobility.

“I have personally interviewed the potential candidates to evaluate their capabilities, but I would've preferred a longer time frame to select the best among the best,” said Rodziah, adding that the candidates were sourced from submitted applications and recommendations.

She said both the Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor local government, research and study committee chairman Ronnie Liu are supportive of the idea.

“I've already submitted the 15 names to Ronnie's office, and we'll be having our final discussion next week.

“Once they're selected for the local councils, we'll have ongoing discussions and work with engineers to develop the best facilities for them.

“I'll also review their performance from time to time.“

Treaty a step forward for the disabled

Thursday May 15, 2008

The Star - News - Letters

Treaty a step forward for the disabled

THE Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) joins hands with all disabled Malaysians and organisations committed to their cause in and outside the country to welcome the coming into force of the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The landmark treaty that was adopted two years ago was made available for signatures in March of last year. With Ecuador being the 20th nation to ratify the significant agreement last month, the CRPD took effect on May 3.

We are especially thrilled that Malaysia, also signed the document in New York last month.

By doing so, our Government has taken the first all-important step to keep up with its promise and determination to improve the quality of life of all Malaysians with disabilities.

However, there are two more significant steps for Malaysia to take with utmost urgency.

We have to ratify; and then implement the CRPD treaty, carefully seeing to it that the “Optional Protocol” section is accepted without conditions or changes.

The Optional Protocol provides disabled people a means of redress for individuals or groups who feel that their government has violated the convention and where national remedies have been exhausted.

It is only after this that our disabled citizens can truly, fully and finally enjoy the rights and dignity that our society has long denied them.

The CRPD will finally provide the 650 million handicapped people around the globe and in Malaysia what they have been asking all their lives: a chance to go to school, find jobs, get married, raise a family and retire peacefully like everyone else.

Petpositive urges all political parties in both the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat to do everything in their power to make this a reality for disabled Malaysians who have been left out of our mainstream society for far too long.

Here and now is the chance for us all to prove to the world and our society that we really care for our disabled citizens!

ANTHONY SIVA BALAN THANASAYAN,
President,
The Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association.

ILTC SLAMS MPC FOR BEING DISABLED-UNFRIENDLY

Thursday, May 15, 2008

ILTC SLAMS MPC FOR BEING DISABLED-UNFRIENDLY

Disappointed with Malaysian Paralympic Council - During Closing Ceremony.

Now Is The Time To Bring Changes............

Comment From President of ILTC.

[Tetraplegic Francis Siva, right, with his companion/assistance helper Dusty, the Golden Retriever.]

A group of 10 ILTC members were invited to the closing ceremony of the Paralimpiad Malaysia XIV Kuala Lumpur which was held from May 3 to May 9, 2008 at the Bukit Jalil stadium.

On behalf of ILTC, we very much disappointed with organizing committee due to their poor hospitality such as not having enough of volunteers in the stadium.

Also the lift was out of order and etc, making it very inconvenient to the disabled.

As President of ILTC, I would like to give my comment on that day.

My disabled friends and I had to push our wheelchairs one corner to another corner of the stadium. We were looking for volunteers to help us but we could not find anyone.

In the stadium the entrance road towards the hall was too dangerous for the disabled. Sad to say that, the organizing committee did not take proper care with the accessibility.

Top winners: Jeanne posing for a photo with Mohd Zamry (left) and Catherine, the Sportsman and Sportswoman Award winners, as Malaysian Paralympic Council president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin (right) looks on.

The Malaysian Paralympic Council did not understand the basic needs of the disabled.

I had observed personally on the day that most disabled athletes could not speak for themselves.

I hope that, the president for the Malaysian Paralympic Council , Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin must be very careful in organizing such a event in future.

ILTC hopes that the council should appoint disabled persons to sit in their executive council.

The disabled persons may have new ideas which could be of help to the council to ensure that they are comprehensive in all aspects of accessibility and people-friendly features.

Mr. Francis Siva

President ILTC

UN celebrates disability treaty

UN celebrates disability treaty
By Geoff Adams-Spink Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website
____________________________________________________

The UN is celebrating the coming into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) - a landmark agreement that aims to give the world's 650m disabled people full equality.

Adopted in 2006, and opened for signature in March last year it took effect on 3 May a month after the 20th nation ratified it - in this case Ecuador.

This is fast, officials say, reflecting the commitment of some nations to the treaty's goals, as well as pressure from the disability lobby.

It is estimated that about 10% of the world's population lives with some sort of disability - making disabled people the world's largest minority.

This figure is likely to increase as a result of medical advances and the world's ageing population, according to the World Health Organisation.

Disabled people experience a number of social, cultural and economic barriers which the convention aims to address.

For example, the World Bank estimates that 20% of the poorest people on the planet have a disability.

Disabled women are said to be "multiply disadvantaged" because they experience exclusion on account of their gender and their impairment.

In some countries, disabled child mortality is as high as 80% even when the general level of mortality for the under fives has dropped below 20%. And almost one in five of less educated people has a disability compared with just over one in 10 of those who are better educated.

The CRPD guarantees disabled people:

• The right to make their own decisions


• The right to say No to being placed in an institution
  
• The right to say No to medical or psychological treatment
  
• The right to live in the community


• The removal of barriers to participation in daily life


• Equal opportunities for all

At-a-glance: UN disability treaty

So far some 25 countries have ratified the convention - starting with Jamaica in March last year.
'Reservations'

The largest nations that have already ratified it include India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa.

Spain, Hungary and Slovenia are the only EU nations on the list so far.

Some countries will ratify the CRPD "with reservations" - in other words opting out of certain sections of it.

For instance, disability campaigners in the UK are critical of their government's "reservations" on residential care, segregating education, employment in the armed forces and freedom of movement for disabled people with regard to nationality and immigration.

"We are seriously concerned that the government appears to be proposing to ratify a watered-down version," said Andy Rickell of pan-disability charity, Scope.

Mr Rickell says the government should not have an "a la carte" approach to the human rights of disabled people.

The British government says that it intends to ratify the CRPD by the end of this year.

"We cannot ratify the convention until we are in a position to ensure that we can fulfil our obligations by implementing the provisions in full," said UK disability minister, Anne McGuire.

"There are still a number of issues that need to be clarified and we cannot ratify it until these have been settled."

The CRPD also has an "Optional Protocol" which provides a means of redress for individuals or groups who feel that their government has violated the convention and where national remedies have been exhausted.

To date, 15 countries have signed the protocol - the UK government says it, too, intends to do so.

For disability rights campaigners, the next step is now clear.

"The global disability community continues to call on all governments to promptly sign, ratify and implement the CRPD and its Optional Protocol without any reservations or declarations," said Lex Grandia of the International Disability Alliance.