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
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