Disabled given 90pc discount on rates

Saturday, 31 January 2009





Disabled given 90pc discount on rates
K. Harinderan
The disabled may pay a minimum of RM5 in assessment fee

SELAYANG: The new year has brought good tidings for the disabled living in the district.

They have been given a 90 per cent reduction on the assessment rates charged for their premises.Following the move, which is effective from Jan 1, the disabled would pay a minimum of RM5 on their assessment rates.

The announcement was made by the Selayang Municipal Council president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim at the first full board meeting for the year, which was held at the council's headquarters yesterday.

Zainal, however, said there were conditions which the disabled had to abide by.

Among others, a disabled person would have to apply to the council with supporting documents to prove his disability.

The premises must also be wholly owned by the disabled person and the application needs to be renewed annually.

Disabled people who earned less than RM1,500 a month would also qualify for the reduction in assessment rates.

Previously, the disabled were charged the full assessment rates which ranged from eight per cent of the value of the property for a low-cost flat to 10.8 per cent for a commercial building.

Zainal Abidin also said that the council had opened a drive-through counter at the entrance of the council's headquarters to facilitate the payment of assessment rates as well as payments to other local authorities and land offices in Selangor.

The counter will be opened till Feb 28 and will operate from 8.30am to 4.30pm daily.

At the board meeting, Zainal Abidin also said that up to November last year, the council's financial deficit had been reduced to RM10.38 million from RM15.8 million for the same period in 2007.

"We are stepping up measures to improve the collection of revenue through the council's enforcement department to ensure that more money is available to develop Selayang," he said.

The announcement came under fire from various councillors who said that collection of revenue was still poor.

They argued that there were many ways for the council to earn revenue and new methods had to be implemented to collect the amounts owing.

Happy Chinese New Year 2009

To All The Well-wishers,

On Behalf of ILTC, Wishing You A Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year 2009!

May the year of Ox bring you and your family Good health, peace, love and prosperity.

G. Francis Siva

President of ILTC

BIG ANG POWS...Amidst an economic slowdown, Resorts World Berhad

Sunday, January 25, 2009




BIG ANG POWS...Amidst an economic slowdown, Resorts World Berhad kicked off the Chinese New Year celebrations with a hefty RM268,000 donation to 67 organisations. Picture show RWB deputy chairman Tun Mohamed Haniff Omar (second from right) spreading some festive cheer to representaitves of the organisation yesterday

A little help for the disabled

Friday January 23, 2009

A little help for the disabled
JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ at the MPS full board meeting

THE Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) is reducing the assessment rate for premises owned by the disabled by 90% starting this year.

The reduction is applicable to owners of both residential and business premises, with the minimum assessment charge of RM5.

MPS president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim said although there were not many disabled owners within its jurisdiction, the move aimed to ease the burden of this group.

“After a 90% deduction and if the figure calculated is below RM5, the owner still has to pay RM5, that is our minimal charge,” he said yesterday.

Zainal: The premises also has to be an applicant’s first property.

However, only complete applications will be processed by the council’s Assestment and Asset Management Department. There are also some other conditions.

These include presenting all the necessary documents requested by the department, having a registered Orang Kurang Upaya card and earning less than RM1,500 a month to be eligible for the deduction.

“The premises also has to be an applicant’s first property and he or she also has to reside there or use the premises. The premises shouldn’t be rented out to a third party.

“Once approved, the application has to be renewed every year before Dec 1 and it must get the council president’s approval,” Zainal added.

Councillor Gurdip Kaur proposed the idea at a meeting last year.

Pembinaan ‘tembok’ perlu kelulusan

Selasa 20-1-2009

Pembinaan ‘tembok’ perlu kelulusan

RAWANG – Penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan kediaman rumah teres diharap lebih bertanggungjawab dan tidak membina ‘tembok’ pembahagi dengan kediaman jiran sehingga melebihi tiga meter.

Ahli Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) Zon 16, P Gurdip Kaur berkata tindakan membina ‘tembok’ berkenaan bukan sahaja menjadi halangan konsep berjiran, tetapi juga boleh menimbulkan masalah keselamatan.

Menurut Gurdip, sepatutnya sebelum sesuatu pengubahsuaian termasuk pembinaan dinding pagar luar rumah dilakukan, pemilik kediaman perlulah mendapatkan kebenaran dan kelulusan daripada pihak MPS melalui jabatan terbabit.

“Kita akan melihat perkara ini dan membawanya untuk perhatian pihak MPS. Peraturan adalah peraturan, jika benar jiran berkenaan tidak mempunyai kelulusan daripada MPS untuk membina tembok setinggi itu, mungkin kita terpaksa mengambil tindakan dengan memecahkan dinding tersebut.

“Ini disebabkan, keadaan dinding yang tinggi itu mampu menghalang pemandangan orang ramai sehingga menyebabkan pihak tidak bertanggungjawab seperti penjenayah, mengambil kesempatan untuk memecah masuk ke rumah jiran dan sebagainya,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas melawat sebuah keluarga di Taman Sri Rawang di sini yang dipecah masuk penyamun, petang kelmarin.

Selepas menerima aduan daripada penghuni rumah berkenaan, beliau tidak menolak keadaan pagar rumah yang tinggi itu menjadi punca berlakunya kejadian pecah masuk ke rumah tersebut.

“Sebagai jiran, kita perlulah ada sikap tolak ansur, walaupun berlainan agama dan budaya, malah perlu menghormati keperluan beribadat dan sebagainya antara satu sama lain.

“Jika ada masalah berkaitan boleh berbincang secara berhemah dengan jiran. Bukan dengan cara terus membuat tembok yang menutup pandangan, sehingga setinggi itu. Ini boleh menimbulkan masalah lain, seperti kejadian ini,” katanya.

Mengulas lanjut berhubung insiden di kediaman keluarga terbabit, Gurdip memaklumkan, kejadian yang berlaku menyebabkan mangsa mengalami beberapa kerugian.

“Mangsa merupakan seorang ibu tunggal dan pekerja di sebuah institusi kewangan serta mempunyai dua orang.

Selain berada dalam keadaan trauma, mangsa turut mengalami kerugian sehingga RM3,000 termasuk wang tunai dan barang kemas.

“Namun apa yang menghairankan, bagaimana dokumen seorang lelaki yang tidak dikenali berkaitan Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) ada di bilik rumah mangsa. Bagaimanapun kita telah melaporkan perkara ini kepada polis dan pihak polis sedang mengesan pihak berkenaan melalui cap jari,” katanya.

Turut serta dalam lawatan ke rumah mangsa kejadian pecah rumah berkenaan malam kelmarin, Ahli Majlis MPS, Md Sabri Md Taib.

School aid for needy kids

Tuesday January 13, 2009

School aid for needy kids
By STUART MICHAEL

BEING a parent, Selayang municipal councillor Gurdip Kaur understands how parents feel when they cannot afford to buy school bags and shoes for their children.

The councillor for Zone 16, Gurdip did her part by giving out school bags and shoes to 30 students recently.

The items were distributed at the Independent Living and Training Centre in Taman Garing, Rawang.Timely aid: Gurdip (in wheelchair) with the children after presenting them with school bags and shoes.

Gurdip, who is the only disabled councillor in Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), said any little help would ease the parents’ financial burden as their children go back to school for the new term.

“I hope this initiative will ensure the children are motivated to study harder and do well in the examinations.

“Also, parents must monitor their children’s progress and keep tabs on their friends and activities,” she said.

Firms urged to give 2pc of jobs to disabled

NST Online » Local News 2009/01/04

Firms urged to give 2pc of jobs to disabled

PEKAN: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak proposed yesterday that private sector companies reserve two per cent of their jobs for the disabled.

"In this way, more disabled would be able to serve the companies and lead a better future," said Najib."

It's part of your corporate social responsibility.

"You have been providing financial assistance to them, so now you can offer them suitable jobs in your organisations," he said after attending the Excellence Day ceremony for Pekan Community Rehabilitation Centre (PDK) at SMK Sri Pekan yesterday.

The deputy prime minister said that countries like Japan had a legal provision compelling the private sector to offer jobs to the disabled.

"If they fail to provide the jobs, then the firm must provide financial assistance to the government to help the disabled."

This is just my suggestion to the private sector. I hope they will offer assistance to the disabled" Najib said the PDKs must adopt a culture of excellence to improve further.

"As human beings, we will never be able to achieve our dreams if we fail to adopt the excellence culture."We have to always equip ourselves in all aspects as the people will evaluate us through our achievements."

Najib later handed out excellence awards to outstanding disabled individuals and their parents at the function.

MPS blitz on bungalow hotel

Wednesday January 7, 2009

MPS blitz on bungalow hotel
Story and photo by STUART MICHAEL

THE Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has slapped a RM12,500 fine on the owner of a bungalow in Bandar Country Homes in Rawang for using it as a hotel since August last year.

The owner has been ordered to stop operations with immediate effect.

Discussion: Gurdip Kaur (right and in a wheelchair) with the owner of the bungalow and MPS enforcement officers.

The bungalow hotel is located in a residential area in Phase Six, Bandar Country Homes.

StarMetro had reported on Dec 24 that the mini hotel had 10 rooms for rent. The operator had placed an advertisement on the Internet inviting guests to book rooms.

Recently, about 50 MPS enforcement officers raided the bungalow hotel, seizing items in the premises.

According to MPS Safety and Enforcement director Ahmad Faisal Badiuzaman, the owner has been told to stop operations immediately or else the council will take sterner action like sealing the place.

The owner, who is disabled, pleaded with the enforcement officers to give her time to get things organised.

MPS councillor Gurdip Kaur, who was at the scene, told the MPS enforcement officers to give the owner some time.

“Since the owner is a disabled person, we will give her about three months. However, she is not above the law and must abide by it,” she said.

“The owner said that she is applying for government permission to convert the premises to a home-stay unit,’’ Gurdip said.

Disabled community expresses doubt about law

NST Online » Local News 2008/12/24




Disabled community expresses doubt about law


KUALA LUMPUR: Various non-governmental organisations and activists remain sceptical that the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act will have the desired results.

Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva is one of those not convinced about the effectiveness of the act.

"There will be nothing to affect our lives.

"We will still be left out for the next 20 years," said Francis, a wheelchair user.

"You can take this act and chuck it in the dustbin. It does not penalise anyone who discriminates."

He cited the Uniform Building By-Law 34A which has been implemented decades ago, spelling the need for buildings to be disabled-friendly.

"Nothing much has changed since then. How different is this PWD Act?"

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said her ministry was aware of this and had taken to task various local councils, including a meeting held recently to brief them about the act.

"We have also worked with the Public Service Department to increase the recruitment of more disabled people."

However, Francis said the problems of the disabled may just be too large for her to handle alone.

"Even if the employers do not discriminate, PWDs still need disabled-friendly public transport to get to work. For that, you need disabled-friendly pavements."

I am lucky that I have only become disabled later in life, after obtaining an education.

"What about those who were disabled since they were born? They cannot leave the house at all and are deprived of a normal education."

Peter Tan, a wheelchair user who has a disabled empowerment blog, "Digital Awakening", struck a more optimistic line.

"To be fair to those involved in the act and the council which were only implemented, it is still too early to say whether the act is useful or not. But as long as there is no penalty, people just won't be bothered with it."

Doing more for the disabled

Thursday January 1, 2009


Doing more for the disabled
WHEEL POWER
BY ANTHONY THANASAYAN

HAPPY 2009 to one and all! The events of 2008 have gone down in my record book as the most unexpected and remarkable that I have ever experienced.

I hadn’t the faintest idea then that within half a year after the chiming of last year’s New Year bells, I would end up as a local councillor for Petaling Jaya, a city which I love.

Of late, like the other councillors, I have also been blessed with a personal assistant, courtesy of the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ).

I am happy to say that the MBPJ has given me several opportunities to make a difference in the lives of disabled residents in PJ.

I head a disability committee with a team of experts (many of them have disabilities themselves) which look into various issues affecting the lives of the disabled.

New buildings in PJ, for instance, must come to our committee first to be screened for disabled-friendly access before they go to a higher level of the council. We are also currently working on guidelines to improve the quality of care for the elderly, and access for the disabled in homes throughout PJ.

However, I must admit that not all is as smooth sailing.

The first was building a wheelchair ramp for a frail and elderly man in a condominium. The developer was all for it but the local residents’ association was against it. The ramp, they said, would “spoil the beauty of the condo”.

What surprised me was that the lady who said this was in her 60s.

Did she ever stop to think that she – or the rest of the association members – could one day find the ramp a life-saver in their advancing years?

We ran afoul of some people in my neighbourhood, this time, when the MBPJ built a special wheelchair access into our public park.

For a number of years, access for wheelchairs had been barred because of a locked gate. Some people in the local residents’ association didn’t want motorcycles to enter or exit for fear of snatch thieves. They didn’t care that their action of closing up the entrance had stopped a number of elderly and disabled persons from entering the park until the MBPJ intervened.

The present wheelchair access is so cleverly designed that motorcycles cannot go through it.
Motorcyclists will literally have to carry their vehicles on their shoulders to get them across.

The biggest difference yet that the MBPJ is working on now is to provide as many as 150 disabled-friendly car parks in the city. The first one was successfully launched at the MBPJ headquarters last week.

It is located next to the entrance of the building and is a fully covered shelter. Some asked if the facility will be underused. That is not only a very outdated way of thinking in this day and age, it is essentially a wrong question for anyone to ask.

With the increasing population of elderly persons and the number of people with disabilities, the right question that we should be asking is whether we will have enough parking bays for the disabled in the near future.

For now, MBPJ has promised to cover at least 20 of its 150 car parks for the disabled in PJ. The council hopes to get sponsors to cover up the rest.

The entire project is expected to be completed by June next year.

Ahli Majlis bantah tindakan sita

Jumaat 02-1-2009

Ahli Majlis bantah tindakan sita

BANDAR COUNTRY HOMES – Tindakan pihak Jabatan Penguat Kuasa Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) yang sepatutnya menyita sebuah premis perniagaan homestay ala ‘resort’ eksklusif tanpa lesen, kelmarin, mendapat bantahan Ahli Majlis MPS, P Gurdip Kaur, apabila beliau mempertahankan supaya tindakan berkenaan tidak diteruskan.

Pengarah Jabatan Penguat Kuasa MPS, Ahmad Faisal Badiuzaman berkata, Gurdip telah memohon pertimbangan pihaknya supaya dapat menangguhkan tindakan sita berkenaan memandangkan pengusaha premis terbabit merupakan orang kurang upaya (OKU), selain berjanji akan membantu keperluan pengusaha wanita berkenaan supaya dapat meneruskan perniagaan secara sah.

Menurut Faizal, bagaimanapun pihaknya tetap mengambil tindakan tegas mengeluarkan arahan kepada pengusaha premis yang terletak di Jalan Desa 6/7, Bandar Country Homes berkenaan supaya menghentikan aktiviti perniagaan sehingga mendapat kelulusan yang sah daripada MPS dan pihak berkenaan.

“Kali pertama sebelum ini pun kita telah menasihatkan pihak pengusaha supaya mengambil berat aduan yang kita terima daripada penduduk sekitar selain beberapa kesalahan yang melanggar arahan kelulusan premis.

“Oleh sebab terdapat peraturan yang tidak dipatuhi, kali kedua operasi selain kesalahan tidak mengikut pelan asal bangunan sebelumnya, kita juga telah mengambil tindakan kompaun sebanyak RM12,500 atas kesalahan menyalah guna tempat kediaman menjadi hotel. Untuk itu, operasi kali ketiga ini (kelmarin), disebabkan kesalahan masih dikesan, sepatutnya kita akan buat sitaan setelah mendapat arahan pihak atasan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika menjalankan operasi berkenaan yang disertai sekitar 50 orang anggota penguat kuasa MPS.

Bagaimanapun, menurutnya, semasa operasi dilakukan, didapati tiada aktiviti perniagaan yang dijalankan.

Sementara itu, menolak dirinya menyekat tugas penguat kuasa MPS, Gurdip ketika diminta mengulas perkara tersebut mendakwa, beliau membantu pengusaha berkenaan menghadapi tindakan tempoh hari berikutan terpanggil untuk berbuat demikian.

“Bagi saya ini perkara mudah. Sebagai ahli majlis, seorang wanita dan terlibat secara langsung membantu golongan OKU, saya merasakan wajar bagi pengusaha tersebut diberi peluang untuk meneruskan usahanya selain beliau sendiri telah menunjukkan tanggungjawab sejak mula diberi notis oleh MPS untuk memperbaiki kesalahan yang dilakukan.

“Saya percaya tindakan beliau seterusnya selepas ini pasti akan mengikut peraturan yang ditetapkan oleh pihak berkenaan. Mungkin beliau terpaksa mengambil masa berikutan tidak tahu prosedur yang sepatutnya.

Disebabkan itu, saya sendiri mengambil inisiatif menjadi penjamin supaya beliau tidak ulangi kesilapan dan mengikut saluran yang betul untuk teruskan usahanya. Lagipun saya tidak nampak aktiviti haram yang tidak sepatutnya berlaku di situ,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian berikutan usaha pemilik berkenaan yang dikatakan sanggup memperuntukkan sejumlah wang yang besar untuk merobohkan bangunan yang disambung tanpa mengikut pelan asal, membuktikan usahanya untuk mengikut peraturan sepatutnya yang telah ditetapkan pihak MPS.

Mengulas lanjut berhubung aduan penduduk sekitar mengenai premis tiga tingkat yang lengkap dengan pelbagai kemudahan itu, Gurdip mendakwa, ia berikutan segelintir pihak yang berkemungkinan tidak berpuas hati apabila melihat kesenangan orang lain.

“Saya tidak berniat menyalahkan MPS atau pun sesiapa sahaja dalam hal ini. Sebaliknya saya difahamkan, mereka (penguat kuasa MPS) hanya datang ke sini, tidak sampai 14 hari selepas notis berkenaan diberikan,” katanya.

Terdahulu, pengusaha yang menjadikan kediamannya sebagai homestay bersama suaminya seorang warganegara Singapura cuba memberikan penjelasan kepada wakil MPS, sebelum bertindak menghubungi Gurdip untuk hadir ke premis terbabit apabila tidak berpuas hati dengan pihak penguat kuasa setelah dimaklumkan tujuan untuk menyita barangan di premisnya.

Launching a barrier-free city

24 December 2008

Launching a barrier-free city

Good news for the disabled community in Petaling Jaya: they will soon have 150 sheltered parking lots in designated areas around the city

Malaysiakini: First rainproof car park for the disabled

Malaysiakini: First rainproof car park for the disabled

Imagine a disabled person trying to get in and out of the car in pouring rain. It's hard enough for a person carrying an umbrella but even harder if he or she is on wheelchair.

Recognising this problem, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) today launched the first sheltered parking space for the disabled at its headquarters.

The parking space is located next to the building's main entrance with the shelter extending to the nearby wheelchair ramp.

Speaking at the launch, wheelchair-bound MBPJ councillor Anthony Thanasayan lauded the creation of the special parking space.

"For anyone else it would take 2-3 minutes to get out of the car. But for a disabled person it takes 10-15 minutes. With this sheltered car park, we (have the luxury) to take our own sweet time," he said.

Thanasayan, who heads the council’s disabled expert committee, also welcomed the shift in mindset regarding the disabled.

"Even when we want to work, the toilet is not assessable to us. We are not affected by our disability but are affected by society lacking to provide for us to live like normal people."

But this car park is a change in mindset and gives the disabled what we want," he added150 special parking spaces.

The MBPJ plans to create 150 specially designated parking spaces which will be located around the Petaling Jaya area.

The council hopes to fit at least 20 of these parking spaces with shelters.

Officiated by Selangor exco Ronnie Liu in the presence of Petaling Jaya mayor, Mohammad Roslan Sakiman, the event is part of the efforts towards creating a 'barrier free city' where people are free to move without physical, social and economic obstacles.

Meanwhile, MBPJ Developmental Planning Department director Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali said another 149 designated parking spaces will be created in the next six months."They will be located at post-offices, heath centres, stadiums, malls and other places," she said.

For the moment, MBPJ is funding the implementation but the council hopes to get developers involved as well.

"A Merry Christmas & A Happy & Prosperous 2009".

I would like to take this wonderful opportunity to wish all members, their families and all the well-wisher's "A Merry Christmas & A Happy & Prosperous New Year 2009"

From

Mr. Francis Siva
President
Independent Living & Training Centre

Yen Yen: Plan for disabled to get better help

Thursday December 18, 2008

Yen Yen: Plan for disabled to get better help

KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will come up with a wider set of categories for the disabled in an effort to channel help to them more effectively.

The categories, which group disabled people according to their conditions, will enable the ministry to allocate funds and execute specific plans to help in their welfare.

“There are currently limited OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya) categories based on the records from the Statistics Department,” said Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

“We want to widen the scope so that the OKU would be better represented,” she said at a media briefing on the second meeting of the National Council for the OKU yesterday.

She added that the ministry also discussed plans to improve special education during the meeting.

During the council’s first meeting on Aug 14, five committees were set up to look into registration, quality of life and care, accessibility, education and employment for the disabled.

“We are also coordinating with other relevant ministries such as the Housing and Local Government Ministry to further aid the disabled,” Dr Ng said.

She added that the provisions under laws such as the Housing Act and Local Council Act which protect the rights of the disabled must be followed to improve their quality of life.

Disbaled Need Jobs, Not Charity

December 17, 2008 16:17 PM

Disbaled Need Jobs, Not Charity
By: Ramjit

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Bernama)-- The disabled in the country need decent jobs and business opportunities rather than charity, donations and handouts, according to a disabled leader.

President of the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) G. Francis Siva said most of the disabled people very capable and talented and needed the right guidance and incentive to live independently.

Francis who runs a well equipped training centre for the disabled in Rawang near here, lost the use of his lower extremities due to an accident.

He said it was the norm in Malaysian society to give donations and handouts to the disabled.

While this was praiseworthy, it was nevertheless not effective in overcoming the challeges faced by the handicapped.Francis pointed that the disabled were people with dignity and wanted to contribute to the country's development.

On the ILTC, he said that since its inception eight years ago, the centre had trained some 120 people who were now leading normal live with their families.

The cost of running the centre was around RM96,000 per year and it received about RM30,000 annual grant from the government.

The services provided by the centre included counselling and motivation, providing disability information and advice, computer training, handicraft making and other self-development programmes.

BERNAMA

Employ The Disabled

December 15, 2008

Employ The Disabled
By: Ramjit

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Private organisations have been urged to employ disabled persons to enable them to earn a living.

"I hope private organisations will employ more disabled persons. There is no wrong in taking them, they too have skills and some are very proactive in their jobs," said Senator Datuk Yip Kum Fook while debating the 2009 Supply Bill in the Dewan Negara here today.

The senator said the private sector should cooperate to help the disabled to get work in view of the fact that the Public Service Department only allocates a one per cent intake from among the disabled.

BERNAMA

Penang to make public transport disabled-friendly by 2010

Published: Thursday December 11, 2008 MYT 1:20:00 PMUpdated: Thursday December 11, 2008 MYT 3:52:55 PM

Penang to make public transport disabled-friendly by 2010

GEORGE TOWN: Penang will be the first Malaysian state to conduct a full audit of its public transport facilities while it develops a comprehensive blueprint to improve the access and mobility of people with disabilities by 2010.

The initiative to boost the economic and social independence of those with disabilities, will be done through a two-year pilot project by the state’s Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) to study how to create a barrier free public transportation in Penang.

UNPD Assistant Resident Representative James George Chacko said the ‘Transport for Persons with Disabilities - Support of the Development of Accessible Transport in Penang’ and its access audit on public buses, taxis, trains, ferries and airplanes as well as other infrastructures would lead to the development of a holistic transport improvement strategy that would in turn offer a framework for raising awareness levels in the general public.

“The audit will also look into pick-up points, road pavements and pathways emphasising on inter-connectivity. The findings of this audit will form the basis to develop an accessible public transport improvement master plan.

“The other initiatives to be undertaken in the coming months will include a demand responsive door-to-door transport service in Penang island; capacity building for disabled people in accessing public transportation; disability equality training for front line transport operators; training on access building requirements and universal design for contractors, architects and civil servants; designing a barrier-free bus stop model; and an awareness campaign,” he said at the launching ceremony of the UNPD-UPEN project at Dorsett Penang Hotel on Thursday.

Chacko also said the project was supported by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, and UNPD was confident with the project’s strong rationality, it would receive the necessary financial backing of the Federal Government.

“The project seeks to develop a ‘best practice’ model that we hope can be replicated nationwide,” he added.

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who launched the project, said the state government was also studying the possibility of drawing up a transport master plan and forming a state transport commission to serve as a one-stop agency responsible for planning, implementation and management if all transport issues in Penang.

“The necessary documents are currently being prepared for submission to the state executive council.

“We hope they will be ready by the end of the month or early next month before we start work on formulating the master plan, which we estimate will take one or two years to draw up and implemented,” he said.

Bernama

In need of facilities

Thursday December 11, 2008

In need of facilities
Wheel PowerBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Despite so much awareness created, only a few government bodies are making life easier for the disabled.

LAST week began with such a nightmare.

The one thing that most active persons in wheelchairs frequently worry about suddenly happened to me.

And of all things, it happened on Dec 3, the day each year on which the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).

I was at a Government-sponsored function to observe the occasion when all hell broke loose.

A major war was going on inside my tummy, and I was about to explode. Generally, when a person in a wheelchair has to go, he really has to go!

My only consolation (or so I foolishly assumed at the time) was that I was fortunately in a disabled training centre with several hundred handicapped people.

Together with help from an able-bodied friend, we made a dash to the nearest restroom with a wheelchair logo. To our horror, there was no toilet bowl in it!

We raced to the only other men’s toilet at the other end of the building only to find a cramped space. Not only was it wrongly designed, but it was also poorly maintained.

There was no toilet seat or toilet rolls. There were not enough grab bars to hold on to and the one that was there was fixed at the wrong spot.

In fact, there would have been no way I could transfer myself onto the throne had my friend not been there to help.

The place was so tight that it was amazing how we managed to do it at all. My friend heaved and puffed and had to perform a couple of unbelievable acrobatic feats to finally get me out of my chair.

To prevent soiling my clothes, I was forced to strip down to my birthday suit with my helper in the cramped cubicle all the time because I could not reach the door to shut it.

To think that the IDPD’s focus this year was on “dignity and justice”, and here I was, ironically being robbed of both on an that particular day.

That unpleasant episode lasted for more than an hour. I felt even more guilty as I had prevented many other disabled people from using the facilities all that time.

Apart from the drama in the restroom, I was told that the ­disabled were not served at the meal table until some of them com­­plained about it. It was the VIP able-bodied persons who had the privilege of waiters attending to them.

It was also sad to note that all the official vans by the government used to transport their staff were not designed for wheelchairs.

One would have thought that after all the awareness created about disabled persons and their needs (including by the authorities), at least one or two vehicles would have such features by now.

On the contrary, I was inform­ed that currently none of the vehicles owned by the Govern­ment are wheelchair-friendly.

The next day, however, was much better.

This time, I found myself with a group of disabled persons in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya.

We were there as part of a new initiative by the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) to make the entire stretch of pavement on Jalan Gasing friendly to all persons, especially the disabled and the elderly.

The MBPJ project is part of the city council’s mission to create a liveable city for all its residents.

What this means is that the present pathway will have to undergo various changes. Narrow passageways will have to be widened to allow access to wheelchairs.

Proper kerb cuts will need to be provided to allow wheelchairs and prams to access the pavements. Bus stops will also need to be accessible.

Street furniture will have to be rearranged. These include signboards, postboxes, lamp posts and even trees that cause obstruction to pedestrians.

Open drains will have to be covered so that the blind (and children) do not fall into them.

Tactile flooring to help the blind move about independently and traffic lights with audible alerts to tell them when to cross the road, will have to be provided.

Once these changes are implemented, the disabled will no longer feel imprisoned in their homes.

Even though there is presently no disabled-friendly public transport, they will at least be able to go out to the nearest shop, religious building or hospital like the rest of society.

The MBPJ project is expected to be completed by next March.

Disabled folks need our respect

Tuesday December 9, 2008

Disabled folks need our respect

MARIAM Mokhtar made an excellent point in the article “Time to heighten plight of the disabled” (The Star, Dec 4).

I wholly agree that International Day for the Disabled should be something we need to not only celebrate but also to show our respect, kindness and admiration for the disabled.

It is disheartening to know how a country like Malaysia still harbours a backward attitude when it comes to the disabled community.

I am baffled that Malaysia is not disabled-friendly and that society is not empowering the disabled community at all.

It makes me angry to see a few ignorant Malaysians do nothing but stare at a disabled person venturing out in public for everyday chores.

In Britain, where I come from, the only response you get for staring at a disabled person is either a rude gesture or a good scolding.

Disabled individuals have feelings and rights to be treated with dignity and respect like their able-bodied counterparts.

They don’t need to be stared at, teased or be made fun of.

How would you feel if you were a disabled person where you have to endure a barrage of insults and rude stares by others?

Helen Keller, Rick Allen, Kristi Yamaguchi, Ian Dury, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Hawking, Louis Braille, David Blunkett, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Cameron Leslie. What do these 11 persons have in common?

They are all not just famous for their achievements and talents but have also proven that their disabilities do not impede them from achieving success in life.

It shows that disabled individuals can be as successful as their able-bodied counterparts as long as we give them the support they need.

It is about time that Malaysians stopped thinking that disabled people cannot make a useful contribution to society, the economy and social issues.

CHRISTOPHER K. BIRCH,

Kuala Lumpur.