Pemandu KTMB diberi amaran

Pemandu KTMB diberi amaran

SUBANG JAYA – Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) memaklumkan sudah mengambil tindakan dengan mengeluarkan amaran kepada seorang kakitangannya yang didakwa mengasari orang kurang upaya (OKU) yang juga penjaga tandas di stesen komuter Subang Jaya, awal Mac lalu.

Dalam satu maklum balas yang dihantar kepada Sinar Harian, Juru Cakap Unit Komunikasi Korporat KTMB memaklumkan, kakitangan yang terbabit dalam insiden itu juga bersedia memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada pengadu sekiranya ia mampu menjernihkan kembali keadaan.

Menurutnya, siasatan awal dijalankan pihaknya berdasarkan aduan dibuat mendapati, serangan fizikal oleh kakitangan yang didakwa pengadu adalah berpunca dari perselisihan faham yang bersifat peribadi antara pengadu dan kakitangan dimaksudkan.

“Seperti yang dimaklumkan sebelum ini pengadu, V Karuppannan, 57, yang sudah hampir 15 tahun bertugas sebagai penjaga tandas mengenali pemandu tren dimaksudkan yang tinggal di kuarters berdekatan stesen sejak tahun 2006.

“Berdasarkan siasatan, krisis yang timbul adalah berpunca dari laluan keluar kuarters tersebut yang terhalang oleh kenderaan anak pengadu,” katanya.

Merujuk kenyataan itu katanya, kakitangan berkenaan tiada niat untuk mengasari pengadu dan reaksi fizikal yang berlaku adalah tidak disengajakan.

“Kakitangan tidak berniat untuk mendatangkan kecederaan dan insiden itu tercetus selepas berlaku perbalahan kecil mengenai laluan keluar yang terhalang.

“Malah, dia (kakitangan dimaksudkan) bersedia untuk bertemu pengadu memohon maaf secara terbuka seandainya perbuatan tersebut boleh menjernihkan keadaan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, KTM Berhad sudah memaklumkan hal berkenaan kepada Pengerusi Persatuan Badan Latihan dan Hidup Berdikari (ILTC), Francis Siva bagi mendapat persetujuan daripada pihak pengadu.

“KTM Berhad merumuskan bahawa kes adalah bertitik tolak dari salah faham antara dua pihak dan tiada unsur jenayah dan penindasan yang wujud.

“Walaupun begitu, kami memberi amaran kepada kakitangan dimaksudkan supaya perkara sama tidak berulang.

:“Pihak kami juga sekali lagi menekankan bahawa apa yang berlaku adalah bersifat peribadi dan ia tidak mencerminkan organisasi ini secara keselu- ruhan,” katanya yang memberitahu mereka yang tergolong sebagai OKU tidak perlu khuatir menggunakan perkhidmatan kerana layanan diberi sama rata.

Terdahulu, akhbar ini melaporkan disebabkan salah seorang rakan mereka dikasari kakitangan syarikat pengangkutan, kira-kira 15 golongan OKU mengadakan piket secara aman 9 Mac lalu menggesa pihak berkenaan mengambil tindakan kepada individu yang didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu di stesen komuter Subang Jaya.

Selain ditampar, OKU yang bekerja sebagai penjaga tandas mendakwa ditendang sehingga menyebabkan dia bersama kerusi roda digunakan hampir tersungkur ke atas lantai.

Mangsa dalam laporan itu mendakwa, kejadian itu bukan kali pertama berlaku, malah dia pernah beberapa kali dimarahi kakitangan yang sama sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Bumpy ride

Thursday March 18, 2010



Bumpy ride
Airport encounters that call for an attitude change.

STANISLAUS Anthony, 60, and his wife Janet, 53, were overjoyed last month when their son surprised them with a trip to India. Joachim, 26, paid for his parents’ 10-day pilgrimage to a healing centre in Kerala in South India. Joachim decided to accompany his parents since they are persons with disabilities.

Stanislaus became disabled 12 years ago after he underwent a hip replacement sur­­gery. Although he is able to walk, he can only do so for very short distances. He tires easily and the pain in his left leg is often excrucia­ting. When this happens, he uses a wheelchair.

Janet, on the other hand, has been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

The couple and their son joined a crowd of 5,000 pilgrims at the centre. It was an experience of a lifetime for the trio.

I caught up with Stanislaus and Janet when they returned to Petaling Jaya a couple of weeks ago. Instead of telling me about the difficulties they encountered as disabled persons in a foreign land, they couldn’t stop telling me about the many problems they had to overcome before even leaving Malaysia.

When Joachim booked the flight online, he recalled ticking a box on the form to indicate “Disabled (passenger)”. No further questions were asked about the disability status.

So the eager retirees thought that all their accessibility needs would be looked into when they arrived at the airport.

When Stanislaus reached the Sepang air­­port, he was shocked to find that the only disabled parking spot next to the building entrance was occupied by a car belonging to a non-disabled driver.

He had no choice but to park his specially-adapted car next to the offending vehicle.

Then came the second upset. Despite the numerous stickers on his car clearly indica­ting that he was a disabled driver, he was promptly served with a summons. The real offender, meanwhile, got away scot-free.

However, this was nothing compared to the nightmare that was yet to come. The disabled couple were made to climb up a flight of stairs before they could board the aircraft. The ambulift – a specially designed contraption to lift wheelchairs into the aeroplane – was out of order, they were told.

After the rest of the passengers had boarded the plane, it was their turn. Stanislaus has had frequent hip dislocations over the past year. He was terrified as he took each step up the stairs. Janet was on tenterhooks, too.

Once inside the plane, the couple had to walk almost halfway across the length of the plane to get to their seats. Stanislaus won­­­­­­­der­ed why the airline had not made things easier for them and changed their seats to one of the front rows instead. Only on their return trip were they given front-row seats.

The couple also raised a few points:

> The staff were ill-advised on how to help disabled travellers. When the couple were struggling up the steps leading to the aircraft, there were only two small-sized women and one man on standby in case of emergency.

> Although there was an express lane for disabled/elderly passengers at the airport in India, none existed in the Sepang airport.

> The ambulift was still under repair when the couple returned from India. The wheelchair provided by the airport in Sepang had wheels that wobbled. Stanislaus was charged RM15 for the use of the wheelchair and no receipt was issued. In India, the wheelchair service was free.

“All this clearly calls for an attitude change from the airline and the airport authorities if they want everyone to fly,” said Stanislaus

Update: Norani Bt. Hj. Mohd Hashim, Pengarah, Jabatan Pembangunan Orang Kurang Upaya Was Written In Response Letter To The ILTC

Disabled group outraged over abuse

Thursday March 11, 2010



Disabled group outraged over abuse

THE disabled community led by Independent Living and Traning Centre (ILTC) has called for action to be taken against a KTM Berhad driver for assaulting and verbally abusing a disabled person.

Wheelchair-bound Karup­pannan Veeramalai had been assaulted and verbally abused by the driver at KTMB Subang Jaya station on March 4. He made a police report the next day but no action was taken against the driver.

Karuppannan now fears to take public transport, especially the KTM Komuter to get from one place to another.

He said the driver had kicked his wheelchair when he was near the KTM Berhad toilet and wanted to beat him up.

“I do not know why he was so angry. The driver told me that I was blocking his path.

“I told him it was just for a while as my childen had gone to buy food for me and would return shortly.

“He once again kicked my wheelc­­­hair and went away,” he said.

ILTC president Francis Siva urged the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to investigate the unlawful act of the KTMB officer against the disabled.

“We demand that the rights and dignity of all disabled persons be respected, including those who have to make a living,” said Francis during a press conference held at KTMB Station in Subang Jaya recently.

KTMB general manager Mohd Haidar Yusof said they would investigate the matter thoroughly and submit a report within a week.

Disabled man kicked by train driver - malaysiakini

Disabled man kicked by KTM train driver says victim - malaysiakini

9 March 2010

Disabled man kicked by KTM train driver says victim - malaysiakini
Train driver kicked me, says disabled man

Vasugi Supramanian
Mar 9, 10
7:53pm

Pro-disabled activists held a demonstration in front of the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter train station in Selangor today to protest of the alleged assault and verbal abuse of a wheelchair-bound man by a KTMB train driver.

Armed with placards that read 'Jangan Menghina OKU' (Don't insult Orang Kurang Upaya) and 'You can be OKU too', the group from the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) called for immediate action to be taken against the Komuter train driver.

Karuppannan Veeramalai, 57, (left) who works at KTMB train stations as a contractor-in-charge of toilet services, said that he was kicked and assaulted by the Komuter train driver, known only as 'Zul', over a parking incident.

According to Karuppannan, he has been working at the station for the past 15 years and has been 'bullied' by KTMB staff for the last three.

Things finally came to a head when Zul allegedly kicked and attempted to slap Karuppannan over the latter's son's car being parked next to a parking space reserved for the disabled.

Karuppannan said he lodged a police report at the Subang Jaya police station on March 5 but added that to his disappointment, no action has been taken against the person he identified as 'Zul'.

He claimed it was not the first time that he was bullied by the KTMB Komuter train driver.

Representing the NGO Malaysians Against Discrimination of the Disabled, Anthony Thanasayan called on the inspector-general of police to investigate the matter.

"The rights and dignity of all disabled persons must be respected at all times," said Thanasayan (above, right).

KTMB 'unaware'

Asked about the incident, KTMB Corporate Communications Acting Senior Manager Mohd Fazil Ismail, who was at the scene, claimed that the KTMB had not been aware of the incident.

"Now that we know about the matter, we will bring the matter up at the KTMB headquarters and hold a domestic inquiry. We will respond to this case within seven working days," he said, adding that he had turned up at the venue of the protest today to personally handle the complaint.

Mohd Fazil said the issue should not be construed as proof of KTMB's ill-treatment of the disabled and that it could perhaps be just a private disagreement between two individuals.

The protest, which attracted about 20 people, was also attended by Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) president Francis Siva and its secretary Gurdip Kaur.

Meanwhile, all Komuter train stations will be fixed with closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) beginning this year for security reasons.

Bernama reports that KTMB President Dr Aminuddin Adnan said for a start, nine stations with a 'high-risk potential' would be installed with the CCTVs.

He said Komuter stations would also be fixed with WiFi connections, fans, water coolers, LCD screens and mobile phone chargers with a RM2 million allocation.

The facilities will cater for the needs of Komuter train passengers which have risen from 95,000 a day last year to 96,000 this year, he told reporters at a separate event.

OKU dikasari nyaris tersungkur

Rabu 10-3-2010

OKU dikasari nyaris tersungkur

SUBANG JAYA – Gara-gara meletak kenderaan di luar petak parkir, penjaga tandas stesen komuter Subang Jaya dekat sini mendakwa ditendang seorang kakitangan Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) sehingga menyebabkannya hampir tersungkur di atas lantai.

Mangsa, V Karuppannan, 57, yang juga pemegang kad orang kurang upaya (OKU) mendakwa dalam kejadian Khamis lalu anaknya datang untuk berjumpanya di stesen keretapi itu kira-kira jam 1 tengahari.

Katanya, disebabkan terdapat sebuah kereta di petak parkir OKU yang disediakan dia kemudian meminta anaknya meletakkan kereta bersebelahan kenderaan itu.

“Anak saya meletakkan kereta di situ tanpa menghalang laluan jalan untuk sementara waktu sebelum membeli makanan tengahari saya di gerai berdekatan.

“Ketika itu datang seorang kakitangan KTMB yang memarahi dan bertindak menampar saya disebabkan anak meletakkan kenderaan di situ,” katanya yang memaklumkan bagaimanapun berjaya menepis tangan kakitangan itu daripada terkena pipinya.

Menurutnya, dia kemudian menjelaskan kepada kakitangan KTMB itu bahawa anaknya hanya meletakkan kereta di situ dalam tempoh kurang 10 minit untuk ke gerai makan berhampiran.

“Bagaimanapun, kakitangan itu seolah-olah tidak faham dan terus menendang kerusi roda hingga menyebabkan saya hampir terjelopok ke atas lantai berhampiran tandas.

“Saya sempat berpaut pada tiang namun insiden itu menyebabkan pinggang saya masih sakit sehingga hari ini,” katanya yang kemudian membuat laporan di Balai Polis Subang Jaya berikutan bimbang dipelakukan lagi seperti itu pada masa hadapan.

Katanya, kejadian itu bukanlah kali pertama berlaku malah dia pernah beberapa kali dimarahi kakitangan berkenaan sejak tiga tahun lalu.

“Individu yang sama itu pernah membuang rak perniagaan kecil-kecilan yang dijalankan saya meskipun aktiviti itu mendapat kebenaran pihak KTMB.

“Saya tidak tahu sama ada dia tidak menyukai saya disebabkan menjaga tandas dan berniaga kecil-kecilan di situ sejak 15 tahun lalu atau ada sebab lain,” katanya lagi ketika turut serta dalam piket secara aman bersama beberapa golongan OKU di depan stesen komuter Subang Jaya, petang semalam.

Dia bagaimanapun berkata, mempunyai hubungan baik dengan kakitangan KTMB lain yang bekerja di stesen itu.

Pengerusi Persatuan Badan Latihan dan Hidup Berdikari (ILTC), Francis Siva yang turut sama dalam piket itu ketika ditemui Sinar Harian berkata, beliau berasa sedih apabila pelakuan itu membabitkan seorang warga emas yang juga golongan OKU.

Katanya, Karuppannan datang membuat aduan kepadanya dan bertanya bagaimana menyelesaikan kemelut yang melanda.

“Dia berasa takut insiden itu akan berulang kerana bukan sekali dua dipelakukan begitu di tempatnya mencari makan.

“Justeru saya menggesa polis menjalankan siasatan bagi melindungi golongan seperti itu supaya tiada lagi OKU akan dianiaya oleh individu tidak bertanggungjawab,” katanya.

Katanya, KTMB juga seharusnya mengambil tindakan sekiranya individu itu didapati bersalah terhadap dakwaan yang dibuat.

“Kalau kakitangannya benar-benar salah, beri hukuman supaya menjadi pengajaran kepada dirinya dan orang lain juga,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Pemangku Pengurus Kanan Unit Komunikasi Korporat KTM Berhad, Mohd Fazil Ismail ketika mengulas isu itu berkata, pihak pengurusan melahirkan rasa simpati dan memohon maaf di atas insiden yang berlaku kepada mangsa.

Menurutnya, pihaknya melihat perkara itu lebih kepada masalah peribadi antara pengadu dengan individu yang didakwa mengasarinya.

“Bagaimanapun pihak kami akan kakitangan berkenaan untuk sesi penerangan dalam siasatan dijalankan.

“Sekiranya berlaku salah laku seperti didakwa, KTMB tidak akan teragak-agak mengambil tindakan kepada kakitangan terbabit,” katanya yang memaklumkan sudah mengenalpasti pekerja yang didakwa mangsa.

Katanya, pihaknya hanya dimaklumkan mengenai perkara itu semalam ketika golongan OKU berkenaan berkumpul di depan stesen komuter terbabit.

“Kita memang tidak ada masalah dengan pengadu (Karuppannan) malah sudah kenal dengannya lebih 10 tahun lalu.

“Oleh itu, saya berharap supaya (KTM) tidak dipandang seolah-olah pihak yang tidak prihatin terhadap OKU kerana masalah itu lebih kepada peribadi dan bukannya membabitkan KTMB secara keseluruhannya,” katanya.

KEY DISABLED ACTIVISTS SIDELINED FROM NATIONAL HANDICAPPED CONFERENCE

2010/03/03

Better facilities in store for disabled

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York next month, paving the way for better facilities for the disabled. With the ratification, the Federal capital is duty-bound to implement principles in the convention such as inclusion in society, equal opportunities and accessibility for the disabled.

Articles in the convention, for instance, include the right for disabled persons to use suitable voting equipment in elections and the right to disabled-friendly public transport.

"After ratification, annual reports must be submitted to the UN, so there is an obligation for us to show how serious we are in fulfilling the terms of the convention," said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Her ministry's priority areas for the year will be accessibility and employment for the disabled. Beginning with Malacca, Pahang, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur, the ministry will be working closely with local councils and state government agencies.

Shahrizat called on Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) to set state local authorities a good example by making the capital barrier-free.

"Existing guidelines under the Uniform Buildings bylaws are already disabled-friendly, but the enforcement of the standards is poor.

"I'd like to ask DBKL not to approve building plans which don't comply with such guidelines so that it would be a start towards complying with the convention," she told reporters at the National Conference on Accessibility and Universal Design.

2012 target for special facilities

2012 target for special facilities
2010/03/02

By Lydia Gomez

KUALA LUMPUR: By 2012, all public buses and buildings in the country have to be disabled-friendly.
This is the target set by the Department of Social Welfare to elevate the disabled community and help them become more mobile.

Disabled Persons Development Department director Noraini Mohd Hashim has set the deadline for a plan she describes as a "short-term target" so that infrastructure for the disabled is in place by 2020.

"We have a lot of work to do. Thailand and Singapore are already ahead of us, so we, too, need to move faster," Noraini said as she revealed the department's goals for the disabled at the National Conference on Accessibility and Universal Design for the disabled yesterday.

Top on her list is to get the cooperation of public transport service providers.

"The department cannot work alone. We (non-governmental organisations and local authorities) have to join forces and work collectively. Together, we can come up with a barrier-free environment for all," she said.

Statistics from last November showed there are 277,509 disabled people registered with the department.

The figure, however, may be fewer than the actual number since it is not compulsory for the disabled to register with the department.

Noraini said the department did not make it mandatory for the disabled to register.

"It is their right to register but we do not want to make it compulsory. We just encourage them (to register)."

Among the benefits those registered would get are financial assistance of RM300 a month for those earning below RM1,200, a RM150 monthly allowance for the unemployed and a launching grant of RM2,700 for those who want to start a business.

The government also provides help to those who want to buy prosthetics.

She said the disabled included the aged as they face similar problems.

'Local councils must do all they can'

'Local councils must do all they can'
2010/03/02

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has a long way to go to catch up with Thailand and Singapore in becoming disabled-friendly.
Full attention has yet to be given to the disabled, with many still having trouble parking their vehicles in buildings or travelling freely, unlike in neighbouring countries.

Despite being a signatory to the United Nations Convention for the Rights of People with Disability in 2008, Malaysia has little to show for the points made at the convention.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said Malaysia would ratify the convention soon.

By ratifying it, Malaysia would be duty-bound to comply with convention provisions.

Chew said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil would make an announcement on the matter soon.

For the time being, she said the onus was on the local councils to make sure that the disabled had a "barrier-free environment".

"Most important are the local authorities. Although the government has good laws and bylaws, the lack of enforcement on the ground, especially by local authorities, makes it difficult for us to achieve the target.

"I'd like to suggest that the Department of Standards or those involved possibly set up a lobby group to push the authorities."

Chew also said district officers, as well as town and city planners, could introduce laws to help the disabled.

"If we manage to educate them and inculcate the culture of being considerate towards the disabled, then it will be easier for us to make things happen," she said after opening the National Conference on Accessibility and Universal Design: Implications for Public Transport and the Built Environment yesterday.

At present, she said there was no law to make it compulsory for buildings to be disabled-friendly.

"I'd urge companies to cooperate with us by renovating their buildings to create a barrier-free environment, especially shopping complexes, office blocks and business centres."

The conference was organised by the ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP resident representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Kamal Malhotra, said Malaysia had done well by endorsing the People with Disabilities Act 2008.

However, he said, Kuala Lumpur needed to take a more proactive step to ratify the convention.

So far, 144 countries have signed up while 80 have ratified it.

"Signing it is the first step. But there is some distance to go. Legislation itself is not enough. Hopefully, in a year, especially once the convention is ratified, Malaysia will be much closer to the different aspects of the convention."

Standard rules for pets soon

Wednesday March 3, 2010

Standard rules for pets soon

By THO XIN YI

All 12 local councils in Selangor will soon have a standard set of guidelines for keeping pets.

Selangor state health, estate worker’s affairs, poverty eradication and caring government committee chairman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar said the current guidelines for each council differed to some extent.New rules: The workshop was not focused only on dogs but discussed ways to deal with other animals as well.

For example, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) charges RM10 per year for a dog licence while the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) charges RM15).

Dog owners in Shah Alam, on the other hand, pay RM10 for the licence while retirees pay RM5. It is free of charge for the disabled.

“We are getting all the relevant authorities involved together to try and streamline the regulations, with consideration given to the sensitivities in different areas,” he said.

A workshop was held at the MPSJ yesterday to get input from council officers and NGOs on pet-related problems.

The discussions at the Effective Handling of Abandoned Animals and Pet Keeping in Selangor Workshop were not restricted to dogs only but encompassed all animals.

“For example, there were complaints about the monkey menace in certain housing areas.

“The NGOs are against shooting the animals but the question of who is responsible to catch and pay the bills needs to be addressed,” Dr Xavier said.

MPSJ secretary Slamat Hamzah said there were always different voices coming from the animal lovers in the NGOs and the public when it came to problems created by pets and stray animals.

Petaling Jaya city councillor Anthony Thanasayan, who also chairs the MBPJ Canine Advisory Team, added: “While the NGOs want to save the animals, the local councils are trying to create a safe environment for the people to live in.”

He said he initiated the workshop to share CAT’s experiences with the other councils.

A working paper would be prepared following this workshop and would be forwarded to the state government and the Selangor Economy Action Council (MTES).

On the plan of having a modern pound in Selangor, Dr Xavier said the Sepang Municipal Council (MPSp) would be given land measuring between 1.2ha and 2ha for the pound.

He added that the authorities had checked on the pounds administered by the Klang and Selayang Municipal Councils, which had drawn criticisms from NGOs.

The pounds have been cleaned and veterinary department officers were called in to treat the sick animals.

On the dengue outbreak that has claimed the lives of six people in Selangor in January, Dr Xavier said there was a slight decrease in the number of cases.

“This is a good sign but we still have to be on guard. The people have to play their part by keeping their compounds clean and free of mosquito-breeding grounds,” he said.

KL bakal peneraju bandar raya mesra OKU: Shahrizat

Rabu 3-3-2010

KL bakal peneraju bandar raya mesra OKU: Shahrizat

KUALA LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur bakal menjadi peneraju dalam program pembangunan mesra Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) di negara ini melalui penguatkuasaan dan penyelarasan garis panduan standard pembinaan infrastruktur.

Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat (KPWKM), Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil berkata, beliau akan membentangkan satu memorandum mengenai cadangan itu kepada Kabinet dalam masa terdekat bagi membolehkan pembangunan Kuala Lumpur diteladani tempat lain.

Bagi menjayakan usaha itu, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), perlu menjadi perintis kepada usaha itu supaya Kuala Lumpur dapat menyediakan prasarana yang mesra OKU.

“Apabila ada tunjuk ajar DBKL, standard bangunan akan diikuti oleh pihak lain, kita bukan sebuah negara yang mesra OKU sebagaimana yang diamalkan oleh negara-negara lain berbanding Malaysia,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas menutup persidangan mengenai kemudahan dan rekaan universal bagi pengangkutan awam dan bangunan di sini, semalam.

Beliau berkata, antara faktor yang menyekat pembangunan mesra OKU pada masa kini ialah wujudnya kelemahan dalam penguatkuasaan pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) dan ketiadaan garis panduan dalam pembinaan infrastruktur mesra OKU.

Selain itu, katanya, tidak terdapat dasar yang selaras dan jelas mengenai piawaian yang diperlukan dalam pembinaan infrastruktur yang mesra OKU sehingga menyukarkan pemilik bangunan menyediakan kemudahan bagi golongan itu.

“Semua pihak, bukan sahaja kerajaan persekutuan, malah kerajaan negeri termasuk ahli politik, perlu menyediakan perancangan bandar yang teratur dan menyediakan arkitek yang dapat melakar pembinaan infrastruktur yang sesuai untuk kegunaan OKU,” katanya.

Shahrizat berkata, kementeriannya telah memulakan langkah untuk merealisasikan Konvensyen Mengenai Hak Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNCRPD) seperti termaktub dalam Akta OKU 2008 dengan

memberi keutamaan kepada dua isu OKU iaitu kebolehcapaian dan peluang pekerjaan.

Menurutnya, PBT juga perlu menubuhkan satu unit khas untuk memantau isu-isu berkaitan OKU dan disarankan agar OKU diambil sebagai tenaga pekerja. - Bernama

Achievers Recognition Dinner, PGRM , Kuala Lumpur

Achievers Recognition Dinner, PGRM, Kuala Lumpur, 25th February 2010

FusionExcel's Achievers Recognition Dinner at PGRM, Kuala Lumpur, on 25th February 2010 was a GREAT SUCCESS attended by 1,300 FusionExcel Leaders.

The dinner event coincided with the Chinese New Year and FusionExcel celebrated it by having a special "Yee Sang" dish for all.

FusionExcel is proud to host 100 old folks and children from charity organisation Persatuan Budi Penyayang, Daerah Bentong, Pahang and Independent Living & Training Centre (ILTC) Rawang. FusionExcel also donated Ang Pows.

Good news for those who are disabled due to occupational injuries

Good news for those who are disabled due to occupational injuries.The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has been shown that the government is concerned for people with disability as citizens of Malaysia with full rights and dignity for those with families and dependants.

Socso windfall for 206,000 next month

Tuesday March 2, 2010

Socso windfall for 206,000 next month

By A. LETCHUMANAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 206,585 recipients of Socso pensions are in for a windfall with the Government increasing monthly payments by between 0.6% and 11.3%.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said pensioners who received periodic payments awarded on or before Dec 31, 2007, would benefit from the pension increments.

“The increases will be backdated to Jan 1, 2008 and will be paid out to the pensioners from April. This is the first time such a big increase has been approved in Socso’s history,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Dr Subramaniam said those who were awarded pensions before 2003 would receive an increment of 10.2%, while those awarded pensions in 2003 would get 11.3%, 2004 (9.6%), 2005 (6.3%), 2006 (2.6%) and 2007 (0.6%).

He said the adjustment in the Socso pension rates under the Employment Injury insurance scheme and the Invalidity Pension scheme were made to accommodate the increase in the cost of living by taking into account the consumer price index.

“The additional financial implications for the new pension rates include the permanent disability benefit, dependent’s benefit, invalidity pension and survivor’s pension estimated at RM66.4mil per year,” Dr Subramaniam said.

He said the adjustments in the pension payments from Jan 1, 2008 to March 31, 2010 totalled RM142.4mil in arrears.

He said Socso would undertake regular studies to ensure that the recipients would be able to survive economically despite the rising cost of living.

Dr Subramaniam said Socso would continue to play an active role in looking after the welfare of their contributors through the Employ­ment Injury Insurance Scheme and the Invalidity Pension Scheme.

Earlier, he presented benefits and rehabilitation equipment totalling RM365,000 to 25 recipients.

A New Disability Committee To Be Set Up in Majlis Perbandaran Selayang Very Soon

A New Disability Committee To Be Set Up in Majlis Perbandaran Selayang Very Soon
A group of disabled persons from the Klang Valley got together to push for a representation in a local council on the 17th of last month.

Members of the self-help organisation the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor, and the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or PETPOSITIVE in Kuala Lumpur made their way to the headquarters of the Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) to demand an equal right to being heard in the local government.

They were met by several key officials from the planning, engineering and building departments.

The two sides had more than two hours of deliberation that ended up on a very positive note.

The MPS agreed to set up a technical council on disability within a month of that meeting.

Names of disabled people and their organisations will be identified within the next 30 days and invited to the first meeting.

This special occasion will be held sometime in March.

Before the historic gathering, MPS will conduct an access survey of their own headquarters to check how handicapped-friendly their building is to its visitors.

These will be evaluated by a team of disability experts from the new committee.

The exercise which is scheduled to take place this Wednesday will give everyone an idea of what kind of challenges that are before them, as well as to how to plan out their immediate goals.

These will include checking the town for wheelchair-friendly facilities to organising social and awareness-raising activities on the handicapped.

The special committee is expected to sit at least once a month when it is established.

Persons with a variety of handicaps will also be invited to sit in the technical group.

Apart from the physically handicapped, they will also include the blind, Deaf and representatives of people with learning disabilities.

Commenting after the meeting Petpositive President Anthony SB Thanasayan said: "People with disabilities and the elderly within the municipality will be able to look forward to a brighter future from now on.

"They can rejoice in the fact that now - and only know - will their needs to be really looked into as the committee itself with NGOs in it will also serve as a monitoring group to check the progress of what's being done from time to time," he added.

As City Councillor for Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), Thanasayan, speaking to PET+BLOGSPOT said he would be happy to work along with other Selangor councils to bring about great access for Malaysians with disabilities in the state.

A preliminary similar effort was initiated by the then disabled local councillor Gurdip Kaur also known as Rina.

The meeting was also attended by Thanasayan and MBPJ's Planning Department Head Puan Sharipah Marhaini.

However, there was no follow-up to that initiative until last month's meeting.

"We are extremely pleased by the positive response that we got from the MPS," said a beaming Francis Siva, President of the ILTC.

"We just can't wait to see things moving positively from here on," he concluded.

Special meetings

Thursday February 25, 2010

Special meetings

The disabled and the elderly in Selangor can look forward to brighter days ahead.

POSITIVE changes continue to unfold for people with disabilities in Selangor. Two significant developments transpired last week which can only improve the quality of lives of Malaysians with disabilities.

The first was a special meeting with a group of physically disabled persons that was held at the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS). I was there, too.

We went there on the invitation of the local council. The purpose was to form a special committee on disability under the MPS.

We were thrilled with the people who met us. They were officers with the capacity to bring about big changes for the handicapped and elderly in town. Those who met us were key representatives from the engineering, planning and building departments of the MPS.

It was a fruitful discussion. At the meeting, it was decided that they would first identify a select group of experts with disabilities to sit in the committee that will meet once a month.

This is similar to what is being done by the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) technical committee on disability, of which I serve as chairman.

The experts, apart from persons with physical disabilities, will include the blind, the Deaf and those with learning disabilities or their representatives.

Whenever possible, stroke patients and those with Parkinson’s disease, mental illness, etc, will be included. The aim of including persons with a wide variety of disabilities is to enable others to learn from their unique experiences and see things from their perspective. People without disabilities are often unfamiliar with the challenges facing the disabled. No textbook in the world can provide such invaluable feedback.

At the MPS meeting, we started our task of creating a disabled-friendly society by examining the local council’s headquarters building.

Next week, a group of disabled people and technical experts from the MPS will comb their building to look out for problem areas and make the necessary changes.

These will be documented and presented to the first OKU (orang kurang upaya or disabled) technical meeting before we venture out into town to look at other buildings.

All of us realised that we had a big task before us. However, we came to the conclusion that such an initiative was important to bring about much-needed changes for the special communities.

These were the same sentiments that were reached at another meeting of 12 local councils in Selangor. This meeting was held the following day at the MBPJ headquarters.

The key players from the planning, engineering, and building departments were asked to focus on collectively building a better world for the physically challenged.

The response was tremendous. Although not many of them took the opportunity to speak, they listened attentively to everything we had to say.

The meeting was jointly chaired by MBPJ’s head of planning Puan Sharipah Marhaini and myself.

We shared our many successes and dreams since we started our special committee on disability.

These included coming up with covered parking lots for the handicapped and a revised up-to-date toilet design with more disabled-friendly features which all new buildings must comply with in Petaling Jaya. Otherwise, no approval will be given for their projects.

We also talked about our personal visits to homes for the elderly and disabled to ensure that they have user-friendly facilities for the residents there.

Our visits uncovered some alarming facts. A few of the homes and centres did not provide such facilities even though they have residents who use wheelchairs and walking sticks.

Marhaini pointed out that such on-the-ground visits served as an eye-opening experience for her.

“What may look good on paper may be a different story in real life,” she said, as she encouraged her colleagues to take a more proactive approach to such issues.

The highlight of the meeting was a pertinent point made by a town planner of a local council. She suggested that in addition to MBPJ – and now MPS – the rest of the 10 councils should follow suit and set up their own technical committees on disability.

However, she pointed out that it was not always practical to expect such a move to come about from the bottom up.

She added that some of us may lack motivation or a sense of urgency. So a more effective approach would be for the local councils to get a directive from the top. I couldn’t agree more.

RM450,000 ang pow for 45 organisations

Saturday February 20, 2010


RM450,000 ang pow for 45 organisations
By VISHALENE SIVARAMAN

THE prayers of many charity organisations were answered recently when Genting (M) Berhad donated RM450,000 to 45 organisations.

The Festive Season Contribution ceremony was held in conjunction with Genting Group’s 45th anniversary and the Chinese New Year celebration at Wisma Genting in Kuala Lumpur.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the organisations, including orphanages, welfare homes and training centres for the disabled.

Starting the year with kindness: Lee (standing sixth from right) and Genting Berhad executive director Tan Sri Mohd Amin Osman with representatives of 45 charitable organisations

Genting president and chief operating officer Datuk Lee Choong Yan said: “Challenges faced by the society should not be borne by the nation or government alone.”

Lee believes the current challenging economic situation makes it even more crucial for corporations to help uplift the poor.

Nancy Clemons, who is co-founder of Trinity Children’s Home, described the donation as “God’s gift” especially during the beginning of the year when they were hard-pressed for funds for the children’s schooling expenses.

Datuk Dr Lam Peng Chong of the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor & Federal Territory said he was glad to receive the donation.

“With this fund, we hope to increase therapy sessions as a way to empower our younger charges,” Dr Lam said.

MBPJ reaches out to help the disabled

Saturday February 20, 2010


MBPJ reaches out to help the disabled
By TAN KARR WEI

MALAYSIA would move towards having more barrier-free places only when local authorities start taking the initiative, Petaling Jaya city councillor Anthony Thanasayan said.

Thanasayan, who also chairs the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) OKU (disabled people) technical committee, said the council had been making headway in turning Petaling Jaya into a barrier-free city.

“Before this, the disabled community did not even have a platform to voice our concerns. Now, we have a technical committee that is working closely with the town planning department to make Petaling Jaya more accessible.

“One thing that we realised was that Malaysians won’t change their attitudes if the local councils do not implement guidelines for barrier-free accessibility,” Thanasayan said.
Big plans: Sharipah (left) looking at the brochure with Thanasayan (second from left) as Petpositive committee member Antony Leopold and Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva (right) also have a closer look at it.

He added that there had been a lot of changes in MBPJ including the introduction of universal designs for facilities.

MBPJ town planning director Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali said the council had organised several workshops to discuss the technical guidelines and had even invited representatives from the other local councils in Selangor to take part.

Sharipah said the participation from the private sector was much needed to make Petaling Jaya barrier-free.

“We will ensure that developers of new projects would follow the guidelines. Our engineering department is also aware that they too need people with technical know-how for MBPJ’s own projects,” she said.

She said the council was also working on area-based projects to put in place facilities in stages and would try to have a more integrated approach between the various departments like engineering and landscaping.

So far, some of the areas that have been upgraded and equipped with disabled-friendly facilities like tactile blocks and ramps are Section 52, SS2, Jalan Gasing, PJS5 and PJS6.

“We would also be coming up with a technical guideline for Section 13, which will be turned into a commercial area,” she said.

She said for areas like PJS5 and PJS6 which had to undergo upgrading work anyway, it would cost an additional 10 to 20% more to upgrade to disabled-friendly facilities.

Thanasayan also lauded the MBPJ for printing a brochure that listed the services provided by the council for the disabled like the OKU Transit and OKU parking stickers.

There were also several activities like workshops and seminars lined up for the year.

The brochures would be available at the MBPJ headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin and would also be distributed through the state Social Welfare Department (JKM).

Good reasons not to mess with nature

Good reasons not to mess with nature

Good and bad

Thursday February 11, 2010

Good and bad

Klang has seen positive change over the years but the attitudes of its people still need adjustment.

MY job as city councillor and president of Petpositive – a society for the disabled and the elderly – took me to several destinations in the Klang Valley last week.

A couple of trips to the royal town of Klang where I was born, brought back memories of my growing-up days.

Those were difficult days for me. Although I was born with spina bifida, I was only unable to walk at the age of 10 after a botched surgery which put me in a wheelchair.

I was confined to my house due to the lack of disabled-friendly facilities in my hometown. I had to stop schooling and spent my teenage and adult life within the confines of my home.

I am happy to see how much Klang has changed over the years. I am delighted to see so many well-placed parking lots for disabled drivers. Such facilities will encourage more disabled and elderly persons to come out and mingle with the rest of society.

But alas! I saw some of the disabled parking lots being used by able-bodied drivers, depriving the handicapped of their rights.

I wonder what measures the Klang authorities (MPK) are taking to rectify the situation. Is the public relations department conducting awareness campaigns for all drivers in Klang? What about imposing stiff fines for drivers who abuse facilities for the disabled?

Things became more confusing when I visited the MPK headquarters. There were only two parking lots for the disabled, and these were occupied by a bus and a trooper belonging to the local government.

Such “leadership by example” is probably the reason why the rest of the Klang folk refuse to take the rights of disabled seriously.

I attended a meeting in Petaling Jaya last week in which the heads of the Engineering, Planning, Building and Landscape departments came together for the first time to coordinate efforts to make PJ more friendly to all persons.

The committee’s top priority is to ensure pavements in the city which can be used by everyone, including the disabled, the elderly, and mothers with prams.

All the department directors in the PJ City Council have pledged to give top priority to disabled-friendly facilities. This means that all pavements that are currently being upgraded in the city will include disabled-friendly designs.

Residents living in PJS 5 and PJS 6 would have noticed that the pavements outside their houses have been fitted with guiding blocks for the blind and kerb cuts and ramps for wheelchairs, prams and people with walking aids.

Lastly, more than a dozen persons who used wheelchairs and walking sticks turned up for a meeting at a well-known hotel last week.

They ended up having to control their bladders and bowels for more than three hours as the hotel was not wheelchair-friendly.

There was a step leading to the restroom. The doors were too heavy to be opened or closed by the disabled. The cubicle to the water closet was not roomy enough for a wheelchair.

Not being able to access the washrooms was torturous for the disabled as there was a free flow of beverages and snacks throughout the meeting.

A participant who was paralysed from the neck down developed a tummy upset which led to an unpleasant situation for him and his helper.

What was shocking was that the event was specially organised for the disabled, by the Government.

We were happy to receive an apology when we brought the matter to the attention of the authorities. But frankly, we are tired of repeating ourselves, especially on an issue that is so basic to all of us.