Disabled community and meaningless handouts

Disabled community and meaningless handouts

Anthony SB Thanasayan

 | October 23, 2013

The best budgets have always been the ones that reached down to ordinary persons like the handicapped who soldier on in a society that is built for them just to live for another day.

The national budget is upon us once again.

On Oct 25, the prime minister will, sometime in the late afternoon, walk up to the podium in Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur and reveal the “goodies” to the nation ‘live’ on nationwide radio and television.

Watching the most important minister in the country deliver his time-long and lengthy speech – only to be interrupted with a glass of water from time to time to soothe his hoarse and parched throat – used to be an eagerly sought after tradition by waiting at the TV sets for me and many of my disabled chums.

Unfortunately, until recently, annual budget speeches are no longer a top 10 item anymore.

That’s because the past few ones have been one of the worst for the disabled community.

Sure, the “disabled” gets mentioned in almost every budget speeches without fail.

But nowadays what was once “good news for the handicapped” only ends up to being nothing more than tokenisms and meaningless handouts giving the impression to the unknowing public that the handicapped are still considered “special” in our society.

One of the best budgets wheelchair users, in particular, enjoyed was the very last one that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad delivered before he left office.

He announced free road taxes for cars for the disabled. This was to encourage more disabled Malaysians to get cars in order to become financially independent.

It was originally intended to include all disabled persons such as the blind and the deaf but over time, bureaucrats changed it to only mean the physically handicapped.

Why it became so is anyone’s guess. And why it can’t include disabled persons of all categories is also baffling as having ensured that the entire community benefits from free road taxes (unless of course, one didn’t possess a car) would have told the world how great our country is to think of our truly disadvantaged community.

Dr M’s budget also raised the ceiling for those qualified for employment allowance from RM250 to RM750.

I was there when it happened. A group of us in wheelchairs suggested it to Dr M himself – who was also Finance Minister – during a pre-budget meeting.

As soon as the meeting was over, Mahathir came over to us and shook our hands warmly and quipped, “Make sure you guys don’t speed on the roads after this!”

Some suggestions for Najib

The best budgets have always been the ones that reached down to ordinary persons like the handicapped who soldier on in a society that is built for them just to live for another day.

Here are some suggestions for Budget 2014 that can make a meaningful difference in our lives and helps us go a long way:

1. RM500 monthly allowance for all disabled persons with a disabled identification card: Talk about expensive! Living costs in addition to wheelchair costs, repairs, urine bags, medication and others are always spiralling. Although it is said in paper that medication is free, most wheelchair users with wounds end up having to buy dressing aids and creams in private pharmacies because government hospitals don’t stock such medications.

The situation is exacerbated when the disabled person is unemployed or loses his job after a permanent accident. The monthly aid should be given regardless of whatever other (often very little) aid they may already be getting from the government.

2. The present RM300 aid a month that only workers with disabilities are qualified for should be reviewed and raised to at least RM500.

3. Free telephone and internet charges up to RM200 monthly. Information technology is our way of “getting out” of our homes, learn critical support information about our disabilities (which hospitals rarely tell us), make friends and find opportunities to work from our homes.

4. Rebate on utility bills: For bedridden patients, especially those who have bedsores need to have air conditioning or electric beds and special air mattresses which consume high electricity bills.

5. Fuel subsidy and free toll: These help the disabled save every sen in order to use it for other necessary and emergency expenses related to their handicaps in order to raise our quality of lives.

6. Personal Care Attendants: These are specially trained men or women helpers paid by the government to assist profoundly disabled persons with our daily chores which we can’t perform by ourselves. These include daily living skills like dressing up, transferring from the bed to the wheelchair, bathing, eating and other basic needs to assist all our yet undiscovered Malaysian ‘Stephen Hawking’s’ in our society.

With an increasing ageing population all over the world, governments including those in Asia are beginning to look at Personal Care Attendants to take care of the disabled and elderly in the future.

With old age comes disability. This is a true fact that our society needs to face squarely instead of trying to sweep in under the carpet.

Looking into such needs and services are not an option but a must. And it is high time that Budget 2014 starts to address these issues.

What plans does our nation currently have in preparing for an older society of Malaysians and persons with disabilities?

Anthony SB Thanasayan is a wheelchair and animal activist. He is also a city councillor.

Don't forget the disabled

Don't forget the disabled

BY YI LIANG

It’s time society took care of its more vulnerable members.

THE Klang Valley is no place for a person with a disability. I see it all the time. Uneven, cracked and narrow pavements built beside busy roads choked with traffic. Three-storey shophouses with no lifts, just flights and flights of stairs. And fast-food joints that no wheelchair user can enter – with floors raised high above the five-foot-way and no ramp in sight.

My significant other, Keisha, and I often encounter this when we bring her dogs for their walk around her Sri Hartamas neighbourhood. She has to drive her powered wheelchair on the road, instead of the safer, traffic-free pavement – as the pavements in this upper-middle class neighbourhood are too narrow, too cracked for the power chair.

If Keisha were to drive her chair on it, and believe me, we have tried – there is the real risk of its wheels getting stuck in a crack or slipping off into a grassy ditch when she tries to make a turn, among other potential hazards.

How about the shopping centres then? For the most part, they pass muster. But we have had our share of incidents, such as when we went to pick up dinner at a fast food outlet earlier this week. We thought it would be a quick, uneventful in-and-out affair.

But there was one problem. She couldn’t enter the outlet as their floor was raised too high above the five-foot-way for her wheelchair to enter, its wheels spinning with futility, stuck against the step created by the raised floor. What was needed was a ramp – and there was none in sight.

Speaking up to the outlet’s management turned out to be a finger-pointing exercise, as they said the building management prohibited them from making any modifications to the frontage outside their shop.

That got me thinking – what legal rights does a person with a disability have in this country? How can we all speak up to say “Hey, they’re people. They have equal rights, too!”

Naturally, I turned to the Federal Constitution – and Article 8 caught my eye. It basically reads:

> All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law;

> Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, gender or place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment; and

> There shall be no discrimination in favour of any person on the ground that he is a subject of the Ruler of the State.

When I read it, a chill went down my spine. At face value, the Federal Constitution appears to be silent when it comes to protecting people with disabilities.

It prohibits religious discrimination, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and discrimination of people based on their place of birth, but when it comes to protecting against discrimination for people with disabilities, Article 8 is silent on this point – creating a grey area in the law, and the usual method of clearing this confusion is by filing a lawsuit, such as a discrimination suit – and fighting it all the way to the Federal Court.

And such lawsuits can take a decade or perhaps even longer to reach the Federal Court.

Factoring in the time, the cost and the psychological toll of such a lawsuit, not to mention the forest that would have to die to make all the paperwork needed for it – there has to be a better way to set in stone the legal rights of people with disabilities in Malaysia.

Which is why I consulted Malaysian Bar Council president Christopher Leong to get an authoritative take on the matter – and in his expert view, Article 8 combined with Article 5(1) gives rights to people with disabilities, as the right to life laid down in Article 5(1) is far-reaching in its definition of a right to life.

The article states simply that “no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law”.

“Article 5(1) guarantees everyone the right to life, and when we talk about the right to life, we are not talking about mere existence. It also speaks of the quality of life. So you read Article 5(1) with Article 8, which says that everybody must be treated with equality under the law,” said Leong.

“The two Articles read together places an obligation on the state to provide as far as possible the same quality of life for all persons, including persons with disabilities. Article 8 should also be read to mean that laws should be enacted to provide for the disadvantaged so they may be treated equally,” he added.

Ultimately, what does all this legalese mean?

It means a platform exists to press for real on-the-ground equality for people with disabilities – whether it means writing to building management bodies, municipal councils, state assemblymen, MPs or even Cabinet ministers to press for reforms, to remind them that every person in Malaysia has the equal right to fair treatment, be they “normal” or a person with a disability.

It means no-one has any excuse to treat people with disabilities as inferior human beings or to deny them their Constitutional right to be integrated within the fabric of society –be it in schools, institutions of higher learning, hospitals, workplaces or even theme parks and shopping malls.

So with these tools – let’s speak up, forge ahead and don’t give up the fight!

> The writer wonders how many Helen Kellers, Stephen Hawkings and Franklin Delano Roosevelts we have lost due to prejudice, ignorance and apathy. The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.

Disabled To Protest Sudden Cut On Disability Allowance

Saturday, October 19, 2013

DisaDisabled To Protest Sudden Cut On Disability Allowance

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!

DATELINE KUALA LUMPUR:

CRITICISM is mounting over the Welfare Department by the disabled who discovered that their monthly employers allowance benefit of RM300.00 had been suddenly cut from the government. 

Many of them realised this after going to the bank to withdraw the cash only to find out that the monies were not put in in the first place. 

Some of those who received the nasty shock and were devastated by it were Hindus who were looking forward to using it to celebrate the upcoming Diwali festival on November 2.

Francis Siva being helped out of his car

Speaking to PET+BLOGSPOT this morning, G Francis Siva who is from PETPOSITIVE and also the president ofIndependent Living and Training Centre Malaysia situated in Rawang, Selangor, said the arbitrary decision by the Welfare Department was a big blow to the handicapped community all across the country. 

"Cutting the EPC allowance and asking the disabled to reapply for it each year is a humungous burden for the handicapped - many of whom can't even access.s their 

Welfare building in their area," Siva pointed out.

"Even if the Government feels they have to do it, then the

onus is on them to visit each and every of the allowance recipients' homes to help them make their renewals. This should be done well in advance to ensure that their payments are not interrupted. The issue is so critical to our survival that we have no choice but to publicly protest against their heartless policy." added Siva. 

PETPOSITIVE has raised the matter to a top official in the Welfare Department who expressed her genuine concern and promised to look into the matter urgently.    

Move to name disabled person as senator lauded

Move to name disabled person as senator lauded

G Francis Siva, ILTC Malaysia 2:15PM Oct 17, 2013

We, representatives of the disabled community, are pleased that Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim had revealed recently that a disabled person will be selected as a senator into Parliament soon.

It is high-time that the new senator will be someone who is physically disabled and in a wheelchair compared to the previous senator - Malaysia’s first - who was a blind person.

Malaysians with physical handicaps especially those on wheelchairs are one of the most neglected of disabled persons. The lack of mobility and access to public transport as well as into buildings is one of the biggest barriers towards successful living.

That is why the physically disabled remain one of the least educated and employed persons compared to the deaf and blind in our society.

The first challenge will be to make our Parliament House fully and properly wheelchair-friendly to disabled persons. 

We urge that key disabled persons and organisations for the disabled be involved in the selection process of the disabled senator. That would only be right.

We suggest that academic qualifications should never be the qualifications of a suitable candidate.

Rather, an ideal senator should be someone who has truly experienced hardships and sufferings in order to serve the many wheelchair users and those with walking difficulties who have yet to be reached in order to improve their living conditions.

Having said that, the senator should at the same time, have the same passion in reaching out to the many other categories of persons with disabilities too from those living with Multiple Sclerosis to stroke and mental illness.

The senator in a wheelchair should also be given the necessary support systems like personal assistant care, a wheelchair-friendly transport vehicle and other services to help him carry out his duties.        

For further information, please contact: Anthony Siva Balan, The Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive), H/P: 012-220 3146, or G Francis Siva, The Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC Malaysia), H/P: 019-338 5959.

---

G FRANCIS SILVA is president of Ihe Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC Malaysia).

Kerajaan setuju lantik senator OKU

Kerajaan setuju lantik senator OKU

Bernama 6:45PM Okt 8 2013

Kerajaan bersetuju melantik seorang Senator Dewan Negara daripada kalangan orang kurang upaya (OKU), kata Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.

Beliau berkata kementerian telah mencadangkan beberapa nama terdiri daripada mereka yang mempunyai pelbagai kecacatan seperti cacat penglihatan, pendengaran dan fizikal tetapi berkelulusan tinggi dan aktif yang boleh membawa suara golongan OKU ke Dewan Negara.

"Kerajaan telah memberi lampu hijau kira-kira dua minggu lepas.

"Kami harap nama (senator OKU) akan diumumkan secepat mungkin agar bakal senator boleh angkat sumpah dan menghadiri mesyuarat serta menjalankan tugas bagi pihak OKU di seluruh negara," katanya pada sidang akhbar di Putrajaya hari ini.

Sebelum itu, Rohani menghadiri majlis ramah mesra bersama Pertubuhan Sukarela Kebajikan (PSK) di Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat di Putrajaya. 

Allahyarham Senator Prof Datuk Dr Ismail Md Salleh, seorang pakar ekonomi yang menerima ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD) merupakan Senator Dewan Negara pertama yang dilantik daripada kalangan OKU cacat penglihatan di negara ini.

Sementara itu, Rohani berkata kementerian akan mengusulkan kepada kerajaan untuk mengkaji semula kadar bagi membiayai makanan di institusi kebajikan di bawah kementerian.

Sebagai contoh, beliau berkata kos makanan untuk seorang penghuni di rumah anak yatim ialah RM8 untuk enam hidangan setiap hari.

"Saya memandang serius perkara ini...sebanyak RM8 untuk enam hidangan bagi setiap penghuni adalah satu jumlah yang berat khususnya dengan keadaan harga barang juga meningkat.

"Pada masa sama, kami kena pastikan anak-anak mendapat makanan seimbang, sihat dan membantu tumbesaran mereka," katanya. 

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Rohani berkata Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) akan melaksanakan Manual Penilaian Kualiti di setiap PSK yang menyediakan perkhidmatan perlindungan dan jagaan kepada kanak-kanak, mulai tahun depan.

"Manual kualiti ini akan diperluaskan kepada PSK yang memberi perkhidmatan kepada warga emas dan OKU. Selain itu, JKM akan mengredkan PSK kepada Gred A hingga C berdasarkan kriteria yang akan dibangunkan secara bersama antara JKM dan PSK.

"Penggredan ini penting untuk kementerian melaksanakan 'exit policy' serta mengenalpasti PSK yang akan menjadi pakar rujuk kepada lain-lain PSK," katanya.

Sementara itu, Rohani berkata sehingga September tahun ini, terdapat 46,864 NGO berdaftar dan daripada jumlah itu sebanyak 7,486 NGO adalah di bawah kategori kebajikan masyarakat.

Beliau berkata Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat melalui JKM menyediakan geran berjumlah RM27.5 juta yang diagih kepada 242 PSK di seluruh negara sehingga 2 Ogos lepas.

-Bernama

District welfare head rapped for not meeting disabled

Nation

Published: Tuesday October 8, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Tuesday October 8, 2013 MYT 7:20:21 AM

District welfare head rapped for not meeting disabled

BY EMBUN MAJID

Gnana crawling up the stairs to hand over a memorandum to the welfare department in Kulim.

ALOR SETAR: State executive councillor Datuk Suraya Yaacob has taken Kulim district welfare head Rohana Yusof to task for not receiving a memorandum by a group of disabled persons.

The incident on Sunday took a painful turn when a disabled man, biting the memorandum in his mouth, decided to crawl up a flight of stairs to the welfare office to deliver the note.

Some 50 people from the Persatuan OKU Setia Daerah Kulim, many of them more able-bodied than wheelchair bound Gnana Pragasan, 53, had gathered at the municipal council building at around 1.30pm to meet Rohana.

Rohana had reportedly refused to receive the memorandum and remained at the department’s office on the first floor of the municipal building.

After waiting for about an hour, Gnana took the memorandum and climbed the stairs on his hands and disabled legs, watched by the others.

Suraya, the state Women Deve­lopment, Community Welfare, Agri­culture and Agro-Based and Entre­preneur Development committee chairman, said she regretted the incident and apologised to the group.

“There was a misunderstanding because the officer was ill-advised not to go down to meet the group and accept the memorandum,” Suraya told reporters during a visit to a site of a fire in Pendang, about 20km from here, yesterday.

She added that she and state welfare department director Zulkifli Ramli will meet the group soon.

“The state government has also agreed to re-look into the location of the welfare office, to make it more accessible for the disabled,” she said.

Stop giving excuses for welfare aid delays’

Stop giving excuses for welfare aid delays

Winston Way

 | October 8, 2013

DAP questions state minister on why steps were not taken to avoid delay in the distribution of aid.

KUCHING: Not a reason, but an excuse, Sarawak DAP said of the state government’s explanation on the delays of the welfare aid disbursements.

DAP assemblyman for Pending, Violet Yong also questioned the state minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Fatimah Abdullah when she remarked that she merely “hoped” that there would be no repeat of such delay.

Yesterday, Yong told a press conference that several welfare aid recipients had complained to her that they had yet to receive the funds for the month of September.

The press later questioned Fatimah on the issue at another press conference and was told that the slight delay in the disbursement of welfare aids was due to her ministry receiving the second disbursement of funds from the welfare allocation at end of September.

Fatimah said it had always been the practice that the ministry did not receive the funds in a lump sum from the federal Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

“We received a RM99.6 million from the federal ministry early in the year. We knew from experience that it was not enough and could only last us until August.

“Based on the total number of welfare recipients, we knew exactly how much we needed with the contingency amount included just in case there is a rise in the number of welfare applicants,” she was quoted in a local daily today in a report on the delay which affected 44,000 recipients..

Fatimah said her ministry received RM50 million in the second disbursement from the federal ministry at the end of last month, which she anticipated would last until December.

“Hopefully, the funds would be disbursed on time next year,” she said.

Don’t blame technical glitch

Yong meanwhile claimed that she had heard of complaints of delayed disbursement in September the preceding year, and that there was no official explanation on the delay.

She said only the senior citizens had each received the RM300 per month payment which was distributed late while the children of the hardcore poor and disabled had yet to receive their aid of RM100 for the children and RM150 to RM300 for the disabled.

“A repeat means they have not resolved the problem. Now she (Fatimah) only hoped that next year’s allocation would be in time. That means that there is no guarantee that the problem would not recur then.

“Relevant actions must be taken so that there would be no repeat. It happened last year and again this year. If they know what the problem is, they would then know how to resolve it,” Yong said, adding that the minister was incompetent to take on the role.

“I believe they (the ministry) are aware that the first disbursement (from the federal ministry) would only last up to August. They should have taken early measures to ensure that the second disbursement is on time,” Yong, who is also the Sarawak DAP organising chairperson said when contacted by FMT.

She also chided the federal and state ministries as well as the respective ministers for their departments’ inefficiency.

“They should already know that it (the first disbursement) was insufficient and therefore, there is no reason (for the delay).

“It is the minister’s duty to make sure that the funds are disbursed on time as these people (the recipients) need the money to survive. They (the ministers and ministries) cannot simply say it is due to a technical glitch,” Yong said.

Karnival Pekerjaan - Return To Work

The World Hunger Relief (WHR) Malaysia 2013 campaign

The World Hunger Relief (WHR) Malaysia 2013 campaign

Held at Dataran Putrajaya, Presint 3, Putrajaya, the WHR campaign culminated in a charity walk cum mini carnival which started at 1pm. (05 October 2013) 

Participants were treated to a number of fun filled activities including inflatables, face painting, colouring contests, several game stalls as well as many other activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Addressing the highly motivated crowd, President and Chief Executive of Johor Corporation cum Chairman of QSR Brands (M) Holdings Sdn Bhd, Dato Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim in a statement said, "It gets better every year, and this year is the best I have ever witnessed. Your participation has made a big difference in people's lives".

On behalf of ILTC Malaysia, we are delighted to be a part of such a wonderful event WHR 2013 campaign and the "Be the Movement" charity walk event for a good cause.

Snubbed by welfare dept, disabled man crawls up stairs

Monday, October 7, 2013

Snubbed by welfare dept, disabled man crawls up stairs

A disabled man resorted to crawling up a flight of stairs in a bid to submit a memorandum to the Kulim Welfare Department (JKM) after its director snubbed his association.

When contacted, Padang Serai MP N Surendran said some 50 members from the Persatuan OKU Setia Daerah Kulim had protested outside JKM to voice their grouses about welfare benefits around 1.30pm today.

However, he said Kulim JKM director Rohana Yusof refused to receive the memorandum and instead chose to remain at the department's office on the first floor of the municipal council building complex.

After waiting for over an hour under the hot sun, Surendran said one of the association's committee members, 53-year-old Gnana Pragasan (left), who cannot walk, decided to personally go up to the first floor and hand the memorandum to Rohana.

"With the memorandum in his mouth, he used his hands to climb all the way up and banged the door until the director finally came out to receive the memorandum," he said.

Surendran said the incident today illustrated the welfare department's insensitivity towards the disabled and elderly in the country.

"It is a sucker punch for the disabled community, it is a national shame... the (Woman, Family and Community Development) minister must answer," he said.

Surendran said among the grouses in the memorandum was the fact that the Kulim JKM office was on the first floor where disabled people found it difficult to access.

They were also upset that JKM officers have refused conduct site visits to disabled people who cannot personally visit the department's office for assessment, while others were unhappy that they were not receiving their welfare allowance.

Also present at the scene were Lunas state assemblyperson Azman Nasrudin and PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya.

Dire need for helpers

Wheel Power

Thursday September 12, 2013

Dire need for helpers

Illegal foreign workers can perhaps be trained to work as personal care assistants for the disabled.

LAST week’s announcement by Putrajaya that some illegal foreign workers may be legalised instead of being deported, caught my attention.

This change of heart by the Government apparently came about after the authorities realised there is a need for some of these immigrants after their employers made a special appeal for them.

After reading about it in the newspapers, a thought came to me: what about getting them – and local workers, too – to work as Personal Care Assistants (PCA) for the disabled?

PCAs are specially trained workers who offer home care and support services for the disabled or chronically ill. Unlike regular caregivers of the disabled who often comprise family members and close friends, PCAs are paid by the Government to help disabled persons with their daily activities.

The target group of PCAs are people with profound disabilities who are paralysed from the neck down.

PCAs help with daily activities such as giving disabled persons a bath, helping them to eat, preparing meals and cleaning their homes. They are also trained to provide basic rehabilitation assistance for individuals who have had surgery or who have been ill.

PCAs also offer their services to patients with physical impairments in private homes or nursing care facilities. They do not require a high level of healthcare knowledge or training. However, it is advantageous that they have a high level of manual dexterity and good communication skills.

The range of services PCAs can offer is limitless. They include helping a person to get out of bed, bathe, dress and groom himself.

Other services include checking a patient’s pulse rate, temperature and respiration rate, and helping him to carry out simple exercises prescribed by a healthcare expert.

Disabled patients also need assistance in taking their medication, dressing wounds daily and getting in and out of wheelchairs.

PCAs may work exclusively with one client, or have a number of clients in a nursing home. The demand for PCA services is expected to rise sharply in the near future as we move into an ageing society.

Disabled activist Chong Tuck Meng, 51, a tetraplegic, strongly feels that Malaysia should start looking into making PCAs available for the handicapped.

“I need help to sit up in bed everyday. I need to be turned every four hours to avoid pressure sores.”

Chong describes his daily struggles as a nightmare. He has to cope without the help of his ageing mother and his wife who needs to work to support him.

“I often wake up in the morning, amazed that I am still alive,” says Chong. He adds that no disabled person deserves to go through this.

“I have to find friends who are willing and have the time to take me out. Sometimes, out of desperation, I have to turn to illegal immigrants for personal assistance.”

Chong says it is high time the Government addressed the much needed role of PCAs in the country, “otherwise growing older with disability is a virtual death sentence for the disabled”. He feels it is timely to raise this issue in the upcoming Budget 2014.

Chong knows a number of tetraplegics in the country who are in urgent need of PCAs.

“One of them is a third year university student who became paralysed after an accident. The son of a chicken rice seller, the family’s hopes were dashed when he became disabled. They tried getting maids but many ran away, leaving him without help at home. He slipped into depression.”

Another of Chong’s pals became disabled as a teenager. His family couldn’t afford a maid. Although his 60-year-old mother did everything she could, including going out to work to support the family, his pal finally succumbed to pressure sore infections which are preventable.

Disabled folk in Selangor want state to give 100% exemption on assessment taxes

7 September 2013

Community

Disabled folk in Selangor want state to give 100% exemption on assessment taxes

STORIES BY EDWARD R. HENRY
>EDWARD@THESTAR.COM.MY

 DISABLED Selangorians want the state to give a 100% exemption in Budget 2014 for council assessment taxes.

Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva hopes all 12 local councils will approve their request.

“We hope the councillors will convince the state government to allow this as this will make a real difference in the lives of the disabled,’’ he said.

Physically challenged people who own and live in their residences were given a 50% discount on their assessment tax for 2013.

Siva noted that most disabled live on a fixed income and have higher medical bills.

Many also have to work in low-paying jobs like telephone operators.

“Our association will be at the Petaling Jaya City Council’s Disabled Committee meeting next week to urge the council to implement the 100% waiver for assessment”.

“The Malaysian Association for the Blind, Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association, Adult Blind Association Selangor, Society for Interpreters of the Deaf, Malaysian Dyslexia Association, and Multiple Sclerosis Society will also be there to support this,” he said.

Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association president Anthony Thanasayan said the 50% discount was a good gesture but it does not go far enough.

“We should be exempted from having to pay just like for passport fees and road tax,” he added.

Resident Abdul Latiff Hashim, who has a muscular condition that renders his left hand weak since birth, said his application for the 50% discount was approved by MBPJ.

“For the 2013 assessment, I paid RM132 instead of RM264. It was a great help as I and another brother Mohd Rashid Ibrahim, 55, who also has a medical problem, depend on our elder brother to support us financially,” said Latiff, 50, who lives in a two-room terrace house in Sungei Way,

Another resident, Khew Sin Kuen who lives in SS3, said with the 50% discount, he only had to pay RM300.

“A disabled person has to make an application on an annual basis for the exemption now. This should not be the case, it should be throughout their life,” he said.

Kenneth Seow Soon Kheng, 37, who lives at SS20, said the state government should consider a 70% waiver. PJ eeputy mayor Puasa Md Taib said the council will listen to the views of the various associations when drawing up next year’s budget.

Motorists who abuse parking bays for the disabled should be fined

Community

7 September 2013

Motorists who abuse parking baysfor the disabled should be fined

Open to misuse: There are parking bays provided for the disabled but these are commonlyabused by able-bodied motorists.—filepic

SOME able-bodied motorists are feigning disabilities to park their cars in gazetted disabled parking lots for free.

Petaling Jaya City councillor Anthony S. Thanasayan said they are depriving disabled persons by doing so.

He said that some motorists would pretend to limp upon alighting from their vehicles.

“However, the limp is missing when they are walking back to their car from the bank or shops after doing their errands.

“I witnessed this once when I was in Petaling Jaya New Town.

“When these people are chided, they just smile and drive off,” he added.

Anthony said able-bodied drivers were abusing the parking spaces in Section 52, Gasing Indah and even off Jalan Gasing meant for the physically challenged.

MBPJ enforcement department has issued 35 compound notices to able-bodied motorists in the Gasing Indah neighbourhood from January to the present.

Another 41 compound notices were issued in Damansara Perdana commercial area for the same nature of offence.

Anthony said the public were showing blatant disregard for the city council’s laws.

“Council enforcement officers should issue the maximum compound fines and not entertain any requests for discounts. Tough measures are required as a deterrent,” he said.

Anthony said there was a case where an able-bodied man who occupied a disabled parking bay argued with a disabled motorist, until MBPJ enforcement officers asked the offending driver to re-park or have his car towed away.