I bump into a pole

There was an interesting piece in KL Time Out’s June edition, on how a blind masseur who lives at Bangsar Utama, Kuala Lumpur, related about how he goes about to his place of work.

I was reading the piece from an analytical eye on the “access angle” and I find it very interesting that “bumping into a pole” as something natural to do.

Having arthritis myself, I have my own quirks which would help me go about independently. Yeah, being independent is about having one’s dignity and is a common basic need for everyone.

What would be indignified for the blind masseur is when someone suddenly uncover the drains or create a barrier for his usual routine and he would fall down unnecessarily, thus breaking his arm and him not being able to massage for sometime.

I mean, in Malaysia, we try to cope. We don’t have discrimination laws, just talk and talk by people of promises to be made. Well, in a way we cannot blame them, because that’s what they have to do. So we cope and live dangerously. Nothing is totally independent.

You have got to be kidding me Queensbay Mall, Penang!

Like all Malaysians, we get excited when there is a new mall just being opened. Touted as the biggest shopping mall in the northern states, the Queensbay Mall is one of those malls where there are many entrances. So being pressed for time, I needed to get the right instructions where to go.

“Kuan Aw, where exactly must I meet you.” ” South zone entrance, tell the taxi driver…” “Okay!”

So I met Kuan Aw and Ah Yoon at the South Zone toilet area. There we checked out the accessible toilet which is clearly not accessible.

“Is the architect having a laugh?” I cried sarcastically, evaluating the insides of the toilet with my keen eye for mistakes… The architect seems to be having his/her own fanciful design here. So many rules were broken when it came to the correct design to employ. I gathered he/she must have left the designing to a first year student who did not know about the Malaysian Standards or any other standards for that matter.

“It’s incredible that the architect started with a lot of space to do the toilet, but end up doing things detrimental to access - like having a hotel-styled sink at one side? I don’t believe this!”

Kuan Aw was worried that people think that this is how an accessible toilet should be done and will imitate this example as it had been passed by the authorities and in the biggest and newest mall in the north of Malaysia. I shared his concern.

Here are some pics of the incredibly wrongly designed toilet!

Malaysia Signed!

Yes, we finally did it. And quietly too.

I watched an NTV7 report and Datuk Faizah Mohd Tahir was saying the right things in that program, so when this happened somehow I am not totally surprise. Quietly things are being done, spurred by non-disabled people as well.

Will comment later on the implication etc….

Malaysia Signed the UN Convention on the Disabled

10 April 2008

Malaysia has signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations headquarters here.

The Malaysian Government was represented by Datuk Faizah Mohd Tahir, Secretary General of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, said a statement issued by her entourage.

The signing was witnessed by Annebeth Rosenboom, chief of the treaty section at the UN’s Office of Legal Affairs, Malaysia Consular at New York Raja Nurshirwan Zainal Abidin, and National Population and Family Development director Aminah Abdul Rahman.

The Convention entitles the disabled to the full enjoyment of all human rights and ensures full and effective participation as well as inclusion in society, on an equal basis with others.

The eight general principles of the Convention are:

* Respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy; * Non-discrimination; * Full and effective participation and inclusion in society; * Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity; * Equality of opportunity; * Accessibility; * Gender equality and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities; and * Respect for the rights of children with disabilities to develop and preserve their identities.

The signing shows the Government’s concern and commitment following the formulation of the Policy on Persons with Disabilities and its Plan of Action, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2007 and the recent appointment of a disabled person as a senator, the statement said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/10/nation/20080410113106&sec=nation

Malaysian Disabled People’s Movement?

Is there such a thing as the ‘Malaysian Disabled People’s Movement’ (MDPM)?

Well…there are a few of us engaged in intense bantering about in an online group. Currently, ssues that were discussed ranged from children with disabilities, their parents and schools to car-parking for the disabled driver. I believe that the seeds of an informal movement has being sown, as all of us are now at the stage of trying to understand each other’s concerns and quite a number of people had emerged to be vocal and discerning about their rights.

I went through my yahoo mail box and discovered this entry as the first one that I stored under the ‘MDPM’ box on the 19th March 2004. For me, MDPM started four years ago and we just ‘celebrated’ our 4th year anniversary and it is a significant time as we are synchronising with the political maturity of the people in our country right now.

>>>>>>

Dear Friends and Colleagues of the Malaysian Disabled People’s Movement,

Here is a scenario which is true;

“…I go shopping here with my car to the supermarket near my place of study in Manchester, United Kindom. I am trying to find a carpark. I have so many choices. There are an approximate number of 20 carparks with the International Disabled Persons logo, and only a few have been taken by other disabled people. At one side, there about another 20 carparks for parents with small children and prams. I said to myself, ‘ Wow, so many carparks for me to choose from. Back home, I will be lucky to get to park at an accessible carpark for the disabled. In fact, my blood pressure level will rise everytime I have to get and fight for one!

I go into the UK supermarket. ‘Woa, there are even trolleys and carts for disabled people to use so that they can hook to the wheelchairs as they push around the place. And there are about 10 of these carts. No need to sign for them at the counter and hand over your ic or pay deposit!’ People respect these trolleys and facilities and not mis-use them! And when I went to the hall, the wide, minimum 1 metre door width and large wc facilities for the disabled people are so well designed..”

I like shopping here. And best of all, I don’t have to be a ’beggar’ for my rights. Everything is in place and we just have to ask for our rights.

The question is my friends of the MDPM;

When are we going to start thinking about our rights as disabled people?

We are no different than the UK people. We are intelligent, smart and creative. We are strong, dedicated and persistent.

How come they get to be able to voice their rights and we HAVEN’T?

Why haven’t we?

Is it because;

We have not even began to communicate better.

We have not even began to sit down together and list all the things that we are required to do to achieve how we are going to get these rights. (But if we did, have we followed through the action well and together).

We have got a lot of serious thinking to do.

Let’s start now.

I am here in the UK until (not sure yet) earliest October 2005. I am studying for PhD in the UK because I want to be MDPM’s resource person for the built environment and accessibility issues, plus other issues, if I can help. Please start something so that we can start helping each other, and getting a network of things going on so that finally we can read and ‘email’ like what I have written above, only to say that ‘the supermarket is in Penang or Kuala Lumpur‘!

The main question is; do we want to read this email while we are still alive or not? ( I am not that young any more, so if we are not going to do this now, then, I will train my 5 year old nephew (wow he is 9 now!) to do that for me later..and mind my own business now. What do you think?)

These are thoughts to share and act upon.

Apologies for any strong words and cynical language, however, they are necessary.

Salam sejahtera to all.

Naziaty Yaacob, PhD Student

Will Local Governments Embrace Barrier-Free Agenda?

I live and work in Selangor state and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We just had our national elections recently.

Both areas where I work and live will be run by the “opposition” (which is a debatable statement as at the end of the day, the party that won the state elections will be the “government”…). 

Based on a STAR online newspaper report, the promises made earlier by the ”opposition” includes ‘appointing or electing councillors to advice the local government from the right professions’, which in terms of logic is the right step forward.As far as I am concerned, as a promoter of Barrier-Free Environment, I could imagine that the interpretations of our principles and ideas can be easily translated into action and implemented as there would be more technically competent advisors in the local councils. 

Refer to the STAR online news paper report below: >>>>

Monday March 10, 2008

The dawn of new era in Selangor 

THE people of Selangor woke up on Sunday morning to confront a new government for the first time in Malaysian history.  With a majority of seats won over by the former opposition parties, the Selangor can expect a new administration, both at state and local government levels.  The most ostensible change the people will witness is the replacement of the Mentri Besar (MB) and the members of his office.  “The new MB will appoint new people. My take is that all the existing councillors in the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and Subang Jaya Town Council (MPSJ) will be removed, and there are good chances that the new councillors appointed are those who live within the constituencies,” said Derek Fernandez, an expert in local government and town planning law. 

He said under the Local Govern-ment Act 1976, the appointment of councillors is the prerogative of the MB.  Which meant that political affiliation would not hold weight in the appointment of a councillor, as was the practise in the old regime, added Fernandez.   “For instance, Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing assemblyman, DAP) has promised to appoint to the council community leaders and professionals in their own fields,” he said.  This would pave the way for local government elections; however, the same Act would have to be amended at the Federal and state levels for it to be possible.  “The new MB would have to consult with his legal experts to find out if a unilateral amendment can be made to move for elections at the local government level.” 

Fernandez believes the appointment of new officers would result in a check on the revenue situation of the council.  “The change in the people in office, will follow with structural changes and implementation of policies which may translate to substantial enhancement in the quality of life for the people of Selangor.  “I hope there will be transparency which translates to prosperity for all levels of the community in PJ,” he said.  >>>>>>> 

Disabled people now have to get into the act and be ready to be involved in the process of promoting for barrier-free agendas. I am taking the opportunity to remind us that we are still in the middle of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 2003 - 2012. We now have a senator, soon a Minister to chair the PWD Act 2007 and a set of people will be in the National Council for PWDs elected by the Minister. We have all these people at our service and we have so many things we want to get done.

Review -1. Biwako Plus 5http://www.worldenable.net/bmf5/evaluation.htm

2. Convention on the Rights of Disabled Peoplehttp://www.un.org/disabilities/ 

The first one we signed but the second one we have not. That would probably be one of our first main concern, to push for Malaysia’s signature for the Convention. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Phillipines, China, Laos and Sri Lanka - have all signed but we have not. Personally as someone who was trained with UNESCAP, I feel ashamed to face this fact especially if I meet with the colleagues from those countries mentioned. 

We have to believe in the Biwako +5, the Decade’s objectives and the Convention in order to push forward for action and change from welfare base to rights-based. The International structures are being made for our reference and action. 

I remembered having a chat with one of our UNESCAP facilitators. She mentioned to me that the Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled People from 1993-2002 almost never materialised because her boss were very much against it. They really had to fight for it to exist. I am sure there are other stories of discrimination and mountain-to-climb by people who had struggled with the vision of rights and equality for disabled people. And now we managed to get a 2nd decade which provided for International Protocols and Procedures to be made, hence Biwako + 5 and meetings at regional levels, where governments signed and agree to work on these issues. 

Yes, it was really slow, but now we have an Act and in that Act it says that the Council can press for more laws to be made. Yes, we can push for a rights based legislation or a discrimination law in the future as mentioned in the Act. That is - only if we want to. 

The most immediate concern is that we must be ready when called upon to act and to say our concerns clearly. Now the election is over and the next Cabinet will be  formed and we have to be ready. 

The Importance of the Local Plan

In Malaysia, we have something called the Local Plan which is a detailed interpretation of the Structure Plan. Districts and zones within a city council will be detailed out and be objectified in the area’s development and planning aspects.

Just a quick cut and paste on an important article that came out recently from the Sun Daily:

Important to study draft local lans

 

Monday, 07 January 2008

by Derek Fernandez ON Nov 28, notices appeared in several newspapers informing the public that draft local plans for parts of Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya were available for comment and objection. The plans cover almost all of Subang Jaya; and Sections 13; SS2-SS9, SS11, SS20-SS26; Section 18, PJS1, PJS6, PJS9, PJS 10 & SS10 and PJU6-PJU9 (Kota Damansara, Bandar Utama, Mutiara Damansara, etc) These small advertisements have serious implications on the quality of life of residents in the affected areas and it is worth taking time and effort to understand their message to exercise your rights. The Subang Jaya Municipal Council and the Petaling Jaya City Council have extended the original Dec 28 deadline for public objections and comments to Jan 28 after requests by various residents associations (RAs). The public notice of these draft plans is in accordance with the Town & Country Planning Act 1976 (TCPA), and represents the government’s commitment to public participation in the planning process and partnership with the people for sustainable development as contained in Local Agenda 21 and the Rio Summit on sustainable development. These draft plans are long overdue and unsustainable development flourished as a result of a lack of a local plan. Thus, this is the best and biggest opportunity for the public to prevent unsustainable development and a deterioration of their quality of life and value of property. The older areas of Petaling Jaya (Sections 1-14) had enjoyed a relatively good level of planning by virtue of Rancangan Tempatan Petaling Jaya 1 (RTPJ 1) which came into force on March 13, 2003. During the objection period, more than 10,000 residents represented by associations and their legal advisers made substantial representations and objections to the original draft which was accepted by the authorities. The result is the RTPJ 1 has strict density control and promotion of sustainable development. In contrast, Kuala Lumpur does not have a local plan (although one is in the pipeline) and this has resulted in increasing conflicts between residents and City Hall. Without a local plan, ad hoc development and the corruption associated with it thrives. A local plan is a detailed map and written statement which contains the proposal for the use and development of land in an area. It covers issues such as open spaces, densities, intensity of development; environment, infrastructure and many other matters vital to sustainable development at a macro level in a way that will directly affect land owners. These plans are actually prepared to implement macro planning policies set out in the National Physical Plan, the State Structure Plan and the Regional Plan (called development plans) all of which have been prepared under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA). Consider these laws: > Section 18 of the TCPA prohibits any land use or erection of a building which is inconsistent with the local plans. Thus, even if land use under the National Land Code allows a piece of land to be used for commercial purposes but where the Local Plan zones it as a playground, it can be used for only a playground. If it was privately-owned, the TCPA provides for land acquisition to implement the Local Plan.       > Section 19 of the Act prohibits any development without planning approval, which can be given only if consistent with the Local Plan. In the event of inconsistency, the Local Plan overrides any building by-laws. In voicing views and objections, the following points should be considered: • Purchase the plan (RM100) and read it carefully. • Pool resources with your RAs and get experts to explain how the plan affects you and to incorporate your proposals. • Get access to the Selangor Structure Plan; the National Physical Plan and the Structure Plan for Petaling Jaya and Parts of Klang. • Comments and objections must be in writing and request for a hearing to elaborate on them further. • Send objections collectively as it carries more weight. Ideally a master objection document can be drawn up and submitted on behalf of many. • ‘The Devil is in the detail’. Check that the plan is sufficiently detailed to address your issues with little ambiguity. • Challenge population assumptions, statistics and projections if they are unreasonable. If the figures and statistics are wrong, the whole planning will be wrong. • Ensure the plan specifies the maximum density for an area, height and aesthetic control of buildings, plot ratios, setbacks, road widths and parking spaces, and open spaces (not less than 2ha for 1,000 people). There must be suitable buffers and open spaces between commercial and residential areas. • Ensure air and water quality standards and all federal guidelines on environment and hillslope development are clearly stated and adopted in the plan Remember, once passed and gazetted the Local Plan becomes law. It will be a great loss if residents do not use this golden opportunity to determine what they want in their neighbourhood. The cover of the Petaling Jaya Draft Local Plan sums this up: “Petaling Jaya Bandaraya Bestari Milik Semua. THE SUN

 

Acting on the Act

Presto…we now have a Persons with Disabilities Act 2007 (PWD Act 2007), recently passed by the Malaysian Parliament in December 2007. A lot of discontentment has arised where we compared the proposed act in 2002 with this new one. Clearly, the new act is not an anti-discrimination legislation, but more of a policy-driven one. My take on why the Act was changed from an anti-discrimination approach to a policy driven one is based on two reasons : the Malaysian Government is not confident that disabled people could organise themselves to make an anti-discrimination law work and that disabled people had not shown their commitment to an anti-discrimination law.

Proposed Act in 2002

Persons with Disabilities Bill 2007

One way of looking at what is happening at the national level is to compare the PWD Act 2007 (Akta OKU 2007) with what was advised at International level such as the Biwako Millenium Framework (Plus 5), as Malaysia was signatory to the BMF, although Malaysia has yet to sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (The Ministerwas quoated as saying Malaysia will sign it next February 2008.)

For its Key Strategy, BMF basically focussed on a rights-based approach as the best way: (Read Strategy 2, 3 & 4 below)

A. Reinforcing a rights-based approach to disability issues

Strategy 1
26. Governments take note of a newly emerging trend in understanding disability as an evolving concept and are encouraged to recognize disability as a result of the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Governments are encouraged to incorporate this understanding of disability into their existing and new policies. Particular attention should be paid to the removal of any barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from fully participating in society and exercising their rights.

Strategy 2
27. Governments should consider steps to amend or repeal any laws that are not consistent with the international instruments on human rights and disability to which they are parties, and to adopt laws that would promote the rights of persons with disabilities.

Strategy 3
28. Governments are encouraged to take appropriate measures, including development and implementation of antidiscrimination legislation, to effectively promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

Strategy 4
29. Governments are encouraged to consider the establishment of an effective, independent, advisory and representative mechanism, or the designation of an existing mechanism, to assist in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the legal, administrative and institutional systems aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Strategy 5
30. Governments are encouraged to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention as a matter of priority, and to promote and protect the right of persons with disabilities so that they may enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Strategy 6
31. Governments, in collaboration with all stakeholders, should take positive measures in facilitating the provision of reasonable accommodation to equalize the opportunities that exist for persons with disabilities in all areas of life. Reasonable accommodation refers to necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, in order to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy or exercise, on an equal basis with others, all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Strategy 7
32. Governments should promote access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others

BMF link

<<<<

Further deliberation on this would therefore conclude that for Strategy 4, for example, we see the Govt. had taken the 2nd option of “using the existing mechanism” to sort out the monitoring and evaluation part rather than having an independent mechanism. That’s the decision, so we have got to work now with that decision. We could say anything now, but the way I see it is probably the Govt. is not confident enough with disabled people to do the first option…It would take a bold and brave decison to opt for the independent mechanism (first option), ie a with Commission separated from the Min of Women, Family, Community Development (MWFCD) which will probably be imbedded within the Prime Minister’s dept. (for example) This has always been the way, where disabled people do not have a strong voice to lobby for an independent mechanism anyway.

Disabled people in this country still want to debate a lot (and arguably many have yet to differentiate the woods from the trees… ie strategies from policies, policies from regulations, regulations from details etc) and there is no single vision and effort to fight for a rights-based legislation simply because we do not educate ourselves on this issues enough. We like other people to lead us and solve our problems for us.

I personally feel that disabled people often let themselves be in this “charitable state” and should not be “crying after the fact” when they have not worked hard enough to lobby for the anti-discrimination act earlier. We did not seek to meet the PM and the Minister to outline our concern and so they had to interpret themselves that disabled people’s issues need to be approached in a policy-driven one. It’s true the 2002 Act was more rights-based, but how come we could not predict that this is going to happen? At the end of the day, simply the Govt. did not believe that disabled people are organised enough to lead themselves… To me we did a bit here and there and there are no significant and high-profile concerted effort to SHOW that we can get things organise… so we left it to the minister to lead the way all the time, not us… (cue ‘charity’ again) We play into the “hands of charity…”

Apart from that, there were talks to push for amendment to the act, but in order for the fresh act to be amended, it must take some effort to lobby for it and based on pass efforts, I don’t see us being informed enough and together enough to do this. It would probably take another 10 - 20 years befor the Govt. would agree to have an anti-discrimination act, as you cannot really amend this act. In order for disabled people to have an anti-discrimination act, there should be lobbying done at all stages - strategies, policies, regulations and at grass-root level.

So at the end of the day, disparately we shall just have to do our own things again, sapping our energy and spirits yet again….in another Xmas wish list of what could have been….

>>>>

Another aspect to consider:

The Act being non anti-discrimination is giving us more work to do.

Perhaps now with the FUNDING we get to articulate our concerns better, as I believe, in the first place, what we have been trying to do HAS NOT BEEN NOTICED by the Government at the Minister’s level.

As you and I know, it all depends on WHO IS ADVISING the Minister at her level. I am not clear about what is happening at the top level, and who is advising her, I do not want to speculate. I know they have been trying to work with Min. of Housing and Local Government and all, as they want to conduct Access Auditing in all Malaysian towns ( I reckon that’s why that project is stalled so that they could get the funding after the PWD Act 2007 has been passed through Parliament.)

But my concern is this - decisions are made at the Ministers level and the act will be enforced and the Council (for the Act 2007) will have its members, ie disabled people representation. My concern is the people in the Council will be “pak turut” (Yes-men) or just okay to projects that will be slow to implement or have no effect or will be poorly executed.

Its the same as education, employment, accessibility to the built environment and transport. They will need policies which are guidelines. Then they will have pilot projects. But the point is WHAT is the most important thing to tackle in all these area. And its not necessarily “pilot projects approach”.

In Accessibility to the Built Environment and Transport, you need to tackle the following: Local Authorities / The Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board / DBKL’s Jabatan Pengangkutan Bandar (and similar departments in other local authorities) / Public Works Department. The concern is that there are no representatives in the Council of people from these departments and ministries so far.

So why have people close to the Minister NOT REALISE this???

There are no evidence in the proposed Act that they really understood the problems.

I am sure in other areas such as education with the issues on compulsory registration and schools must have representatives from the Min. of Education. Likewise in other sectors such as employment.

I used to imagine that ministers from these thoer ministries sat together with the Minister from WFCD and revised the policies in each ministry to include disabled people’s needs and concern. I imagine that in certain ministries that are crucial to succeed, they would include Disabled Persons Advisory Board / Access Advisory Committee / Disability Unit to tackle these issues. In local wuthorities, they should have an Access Officer in the building and planning departments.

If the Minister thinks that only with the PWD Act 2007 in place, will she able to sit with the other ministers and have these units, groups and boards in place and running in these ministries, then to me that is a good step.

But if that does not happen, how will we solve the problems? Expectations are rife and the Minister must have the most able and most critical people around her to be able to pull it off.

Barriers to Employment for People with Disabilities

There are many barriers for people with disabilities who wants to join the workforce and Malaysia is no different with her own set of peculiar problems. In my previous post, I highlighted the front page news item in the New Straits Times, a popular newspaper here, where the Prime Minister called upon the private sector’s involvement.

It is nothing new. I remember back then in 2001, we had a huge conference on this and the Ministry of Human Resources actually came up with a quota of 1% of jobs provided in a company to be for disabled people.

The merry-go-round is a peculiar process in Malaysia, what with the elections coming and the International Day of Disabled People round the corner, I hope we strike it lucky this time and the People with Disabilities Act WILL BE PASSED in Parliament. Please, please, dear God, let it be so…

It’s not going to be easy. Too many things have to work in Malaysia and the Canadiens have been at it for ages. See list below:

 

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1. Assumption and Attitudinal Barriers
Reasons for employment discrimination include:

• Intentional: “Those people need not apply because the public doesn’t understand them.”
• Unintentional: “We need different interview questions for candidates with disabilities.”

2. Barriers in “The System”
While mostly unintentional, barriers found across the board include:

• Discriminatory attitudes entrenched in policies and practices.
• A tendency to screen out certain groups of people.

3. Communication Barriers

• Lack of alternative formats such as Braille, audio tapes, large print
• Restrictive recruitment efforts
• Small type in employment section of newspaper
• Lack of plain language

4. Physical Barriers

• Inaccessible buildings
• Lack of assistive devices
• Emergency systems and procedures
• Transportation

5. Lack of Access to Education and Training

• Inaccessible training locations
• Cost often prevents enrollment or completion
• Prerequisites
• Attitudes within institutions

Referred to The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work’s booklet “Creating a Successful ‘Skills Training Partnership’ - Employment Program for People with Disabilities”

Draft Letter - Accessible Work Place

The Star published our letter below - Link 

Dear Editor,

With reference to the call on the 15th of November 2007, by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for more companies to show their caring side and employ disabled people, we would like the ‘People with Disabilities Act’ to be passed by Parliament immediately to show that the Government really cares and support for equal opportunities of disabled people in Malaysian society.

We would want a more strict control and enforcement of the Streets, Drainage and Building Act (Amendment) Building By Law 34A that requires all buildings to have access for disabled people. Older buildings should be surveyed and audited to be upgraded to comply with the existing regulations. This requirement should be stressed in all government departments and policies.

We would also call upon the Malaysian Standard 1331: Access of Disabled Persons Outside Buildings (2003) to be incorporated in the Town and Country Planning Act, Highways Act and the Streets, Drainage and Building Act, so that the street environment will be accessible as well, and not just buildings.

Apart from that, we would want the Public Works Department to make sure that all government buildings are accessible, safe and usable for disabled people. There must include accessible car parking, gentle ramps, accessible toilets, tactile guide, lifts and proper handrails for all old and new government buildings.

The management and communications aspects of work places must also be inclusive for disabled people. Braille letterings, tactile guides, sign language interpreters and easily read text must be available to create ease of communication and conveying of information.

The Government must lead the way for a caring society by getting all the existing buildings accessible.

When places of work are accessible, safe and usable for disabled people who have mobility problems, sensory impairment and learning disabilities, then they are more employable as there will be no physical and communication barriers. Attitudes and prejudiced perceptions will be less when more disabled people are visible and commonly seen in public.

(Refer to article in NST by Nisha Sabayanagam)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians, including those in the corporate sector, have been exhibiting their caring attitude towards others in many ways, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

“We are masyarakat penyayang (a caring community) and the corporate sector demonstrates this through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda,” he said at the inaugural Prime Minister’s CSR Awards ceremony at the Sime Darby Convention Centre here yesterday.

“I hope the companies which have done well in CSR will continue their efforts in other ways as what I would like most is for more people to know that we have this culture of caring.”

The Prime Minister’s CSR Award, launched by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, is aimed at recognising companies that have made a difference in the community through their CSR programmes.

Abdullah said Malaysians were happy and enjoyed a good quality of life because of their caring attitude.
“Those who need help know that they will get help. The sick and the poor will also be helped.”

Abdullah advised the corporate sector to hire the handicapped as part of their CSR responsibility.

“The handicapped should be given a job as long as they can do something.”

He cited former TV3 newscaster Ras Adiba Radzi as an example of a handicapped person who was capable but who still faced difficulties landing a job.

Abdullah said anyone with a minor handicap could still perform with the proper training.

The prime minister was happy that more than 300 companies had vied for the CSR awards.

A total of 316 CSR projects were submitted in six categories with a special category for media reporting.

The overall winner of the Prime Minister’s CSR Award was DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd which also bagged the top prize in the best workplace practice and culture and heritage categories.

Other winners were Petronas (education), British Petroleum in Malaysia (environment), Intel Technology Sdn Bhd (community and social welfare) and Masterskill College of Nursing and Health (small company CSR).

The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd and TV3 (news and current affairs) each received an award in the media reporting category.

The NSTP submitted a body of work on CSR in Malaysia by Sunday People, the lifestyle pullout of the New Sunday Times.

Submissions were judged on the positive impact the CSR initiative had on targeted communities, the sustainability of the project and the level of commitment and involvement displayed by companies in their projects.

Fire Drill

Okay, I know its a fire drill and not the real one, but I am kind of pissed-off!

Zairul, one of our colleagues in charge of this, warned us a week earlier that a fire drill will occur next week, and hey, I should have known its coming on Wednesday morning… see ‘Ramadhan’, see ‘fasting month’, see ‘tired’, see ‘early morning’, see ‘mid-week’… If I had wanted not to be ‘pissed off’ I should have guessed Wednesday morning and lurked around the ground floor area such as the library or studios…but I was at my room and…RRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG…….

Dominic came to my room and saw me getting ready to leave. He asked me ‘if its the fire drill?’. I wanted to answer, ‘yes, of course it is, dodo brains’, but I did not as I do not think Malaysia and Australia is ready to go to war yet and he is a professor whereas I am the real dodo brains without the prof. or doc…haha, but that’s not the point… I was thinking to myself, ‘why is he taking this moment to make friends with me’, because all the while we only exchanged ‘hi’ and ‘how are yous’ at the corridor… never mind.

I was more worried about, ‘who the #@&*% is going to take me down the stairs?’ Okay, its not like its the Petronas Twin Towers and I have to climb down 50 stories or something like that, but they did say ‘ 4 minutes and you must be out’ (because if not the faculty will fail in the fire drill exercise)… and Zairul did reply my email earlier saying that someone will come for me??

Of all things, the technician (forgot his name, sorry yah…) actually did set a ‘fire’ and of all places at the 3rd floor of the escape staircase of exactly the one that I need to escape into…hmmm??

Even from the 2nd storey I would fear tripping or falling while going down or people rushing and pushing me or something every disabled people would have fears of, as they do not want to add another impairment to their already unfortunate circumstances (you can figure out that its not necessarily ‘Independent Living’ here in Malaysia, from my fears, huh…). So on the way out I complained to Roselina about what’s going on (Dominic had since left as I ignored him), and reminded her to say to someone at the gathering space outside (30 meters from the building mind you) that I am here. And off Roselina went of course (as she’s not the designated person to assist me, okay…)

A minute later, the tecnician who set the 3rd floor stairs lobby on fire (well, not exactly the whole floor, but probably something in a tin bin…) came down and he escorted me to safety. He had a bemused face on, but at least he knew he should assist me.

As I went down the stairs carefully, the firemen came! Most of them were not concern about me, and a few were bemused as well. I am not sure if they were ‘amused bemused’ or ‘concerned bemused’, as you know Malaysians have this unreadable expression which you want to say to them, ‘hey, say something, like ‘who is helping her?’ or ‘how come we created the fire on the same staircase as where the disabled person had to come down with?’ Urggghhhh….

I told the Deputy Dean who had kindly asked about how I managed but he also had that expression of non-commitalness which Malaysian often has, but at least he said, ‘Next time we must make sure someone comes for you’.

Thanks Deputy! BTW way congrats for getting a 89% success with the fire drill, but I should think its a fail, don’t you, really?