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
NEW MINISTER FOR WELFARE MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
Badan Latihan dan Hidup Berdikari Malaysia (ILTC) pada 23hb Mac 2016 menyerahkan memorandum kepada ahli-ahli parlimen mendesak supaya golongan orang kurang upaya (OKU) dikecualikan daripada cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan (GST).
Disabled Members Protest
Disabled Members Protest at JPJ Wangsa Maju
ILTC Malaysia members staged a protest outside JPJ Wangsamaju KL.
Disabled group’s protest disabled drivers required to produce doc's medical report.
Friday 6 June 2008
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 Commonwea
lth 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
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 Commonwea
lth 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
Thursday 5 June 2008
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday 3 June 2008
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
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.
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.
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