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.

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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.