Although he initially suffered from resentment and anger at his injury, Sasitharan Chandran is now a motivational speaker who wants to help others in similar situations.
It was a normal day on the job for engineer Sasitharan Chandran until he suffered a fall which left him with severe mobility issues.
That was seven years ago. Today, speaking from the wheelchair which has become his primary mode of movement, he recalls the hardships he went through and the losses he experienced, as well as his determination to pursue his ambitions despite his disability.
Sasitharan, 53, met with the accident while working in Indonesia.
“I lost all sensation in my legs,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Over time, the numbness became worse and walking became difficult.”
Sasitharan visited many local specialist hospitals but none of the doctors could tell him why he was unable to walk.
He then spent thousands of ringgit seeking traditional treatment in Kerala, India.
“They told me it was nothing serious and that I would be able to walk as usual,” he added. “But I had to pay RM13,000 in advance for a week’s treatment.”
He said they told him to continue this treatment for three months.
“But nothing changed, and I saw no positive signs.”
His feeling of having been cheated turned into depression and he began lashing out at those around him. Eventually, his marriage failed and he was left alone.
He then underwent psychiatric treatment for six months before returning to his home town in Sungai Petani, Kedah.
There, his family advised him to seek spiritual treatment at a temple. He agreed, and was told that his physical condition was triggered by mystic powers.
“They said it was a curse,” he added. “But I chose to look at it from a positive perspective because everything happens for a reason.”
But despite his optimism, his condition continue to deteriorate until five years later, in 2019, he found himself wheelchair-bound.
His life took a turn for the better after he joined a programme by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit or Mitra.
He underwent training at the Independent Living & Training Centre (ILTC) which facilitates the acquisition of new skills and aims to boost self-motivation among members.
Now a member himself, he is also a motivational speaker at the Penang-based organisation.
He is also pursuing a master’s degree at Open University, and intends to further his studies to the PhD level.
“After undergoing training at ILTC, I saw that there are people with more severe disabilities than I have,” he said. “This inspired me to improve myself.”
His ambition now is to become a lecturer.
“Otherwise, I will continue with ILTC to help disabled people learn new skills.”
When he went to hand deliver the form at the Jalan Pahang welfare office, he was told to drop the form in a letter box. Which, my friend duly did. The problem is after four months of waiting, and making more than 20 phone calls to the Jalan Pahang welfare office, where none of the calls were answered, he went to the same office to check on the progress of his application, with his immobile wife on a wheelchair.
The officer told him, that the form is not to be submitted in Jalan Pahang but must be sent to Kajang. My poor friend, who was at the office, also witnessed several people coming into the office on wheelchairs, crutches and with heavy assistance from family members to meet the officers and check on their progress too. I was also made to understand that the Covid-19 pandemic has even made matters worse where the young and the old are out of jobs, and further burdened financially.
My friend was told that his application has been sent to Kajang welfare office and he must go there to check on the progress. The intent of this letter is to highlight to the decision makers at the Welfare Ministry, let us be more humane in managing the poor, disabled and the weak.
I suggest that there must be an officer at the counter of each welfare office in the country, where they will attend to the people who walk in. These officers will then advise the applicants or the welfare recipients on the procedures and which office they should go to, to check on the progress. By doing this, I am sure the poor person or applicant who is in distress will not be stretched further.
My dear friend had to go to the Kajang welfare office after waiting patiently for more than four months. I think this is certainly discouraging and demoralising for one who is desperate to get some form of help from our government.
The civil servants must listen intently to the grievances and rumblings of the “rakyat” and ensure every hurdle is cleared to ensure the service becomes more effective and productive. What is the reason for delaying and application for months, when the applicant is in dire needs for financial help? Why weren’t the phone calls were answered at the Jalan Pahang welfare office?
It is my utmost hope the secretary-general of the Ministry of Welfare will ensure that he visits the welfare offices at around the country to ensure that simple measures like this are instituted and implemented to make the service more humane and effective.
My poor friend is still in a lurch. Hopefully, someone from the Kajang welfare office will review his application and help him. It is a tragedy to have a heart ailment and its even worst when your life partner suffers a stroke and becomes immobile. What more distress do you need when you are ill, wife is immobile, savings wiped out and getting assistance from the welfare office is such a constraint?
Hopefully, the Ministry of Welfare will seriously consider this suggestion.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
