Transit – NGO for Sustainable Transport in Malaysia

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://transitmy.org/

29 May 2011

D1301 Pelangi Utama
Jalan Masjid PJU6A
Petaling Jaya 47400

klangvalley.transit@gmail.com

Dear Editor

RE: SPAD inherits messy legacy from CVLB – should we be surprised?

The members of TRANSIT – Malaysia’s public transport forum, were not surprised to hear that the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board was not able to properly manage, regulate and enforce the land-based commercial and public transport industry in Malaysia.

After all, we had heard enough stories of CVLB not having enough enforcement officers, CVLB not able to act on certain bus companies because these companies were politically connected, CVLB not being able to enforce certain regulations because they did not have the legal authority, etc. Then there are other stories about which well-connected people were able to receive CVLB permits, what they did with those permits, etc.

But we are truly surprised to hear that SPAD representatives, on visiting the CVLB offices in January 2011 (after taking over the responsibility for land public transport in Peninsular Malaysia) discovered that files were strewn on the floor and the information system was totally mismanaged – an apparent and timely justification for the massive re-registration exercise that SPAD is forcing all commercial vehicle operators in Peninsular Malaysia to undergo.

We knew that there were problems within the CVLB. At the same time, we know that when a new organization comes in and takes over from a previous organization, sometimes there is a tendency to blame the troubles on the past, and a hope that the public will allow some time for the new organization to get adjusted.

In the USA they give their incoming presidents “100 Days” to get established. The concept has also been introduced into Malaysia.

But by any measure, SPAD (which started operating in September 2010) is well beyond its first “100 Days” – never mind that most of those days were spent on the MRT project – so why is it that we are only now hearing about the problems that SPAD has inherited?

TRANSIT has to ask some questions and we hope that SPAD will be forthcoming with detailed answers.

How were things at the Department of Railways (another organization folded into SPAD)?. After all, consider that since 2005 there have been many, many service disruptions on KTM, KTM Komuter, LRT & monorail services. In many cases passenger safety was definitely at risk as passengers alighted from trains and walked along the railways. In other cases, dangerous derailments of KTM trains disrupted rail service. In all cases, it appears that the Department of Railways has apparently not made public the results of any of their investigations (assuming these investigations were even carried out).

Also, can SPAD explain in a few short sentences what the purpose of the re-registration exercise is? It’s not that we do not agree with the re-registration – it is probably quite necessary given the massive restructuring that is needed in the commercial vehicle & land-public transport sectors. But we think that the public and the companies that are involved need to know and understand that by participating in the re-registration exercise, in a timely manner, they are contributing to build commercial vehicle and public transport sectors that are more organized and more efficient than before.

More organization & efficiency means better service for lower costs. Since everything is transported by a lorry at some point, a more efficient commercial vehicle industry means reduced transportation costs – which will lower the cost of food and commercial products. Similarly, a more organized and efficient public transport service means that transport costs for individual Malaysians can be reduced and service can be expanded – giving the public better access to economic and social activities.

Finally, we are also not quite surprised that some lorry operators and bus operators association leaders are already grumbling about the new expectations that SPAD has – complaining about the increased burden of paperwork and wondering why it is all necessary.

On one hand, we hope that these associations are spending as much time helping the operators that they represent to get through the exercise as they are complaining to the media. But on the other hand we understand why they are complaining – because they simply do not know what to expect for the future.

And that is why we want SPAD to share their vision for commercial and public transport in Malaysia. We are not asking to see their masterplans (as it seems that the KL Masterplan is not ready for viewing). We want to know how they plan to invigorate two moiribund sectors which have been on the verge of collapse for decades.In other words, what does SPAD want these sectors will look like when the transformation is finally finished and the “entrepreneurial” days are finally over?

Sincerely

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
for TRANSIT

Registration of Disabled People in Malaysia

We have gone through this before. Compulsory registration is the only way for us to get an estimated number of 2.8 million disabled people registered. As mentioned in the article below, only 313,685  are registered thus far. So where are the others?

Benefits is one thing but I believe that disability is strongly linked with poverty, so the RM6,000 rebate that I am enjoying every year for income tax purposes will not affect poor disabled people. Nor will my exemption from car tax if I buy a locally made car etc.

The benefits is little compared to perhaps the Japanese insistence of not having beggars in their streets, hence USD1,000 a month allowance for their disabled people.

So briefly, what we have here is that people will not register because the benefits are too little and there is no incentives elsewhere. Like perhaps in the UK you get much more benefits including disabled stickers / badges for free parking and free public transportation after 9 am.

We have to deal with the registration in a bigger social and economic picture. I am still new about this topic but the gut feeling is that it is not just making it compulsory but making it economically and socially beneficial.

 

June 02, 2011 14:15 PM

Most Handicapped People Not Yet Registered With JKM

By Zulkiple Ibrahim

This is the final part of a two-part series on Persons With Disabilities (PWD)

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 (Bernama) — Fifty-year-old Abdul Rahim (not his full name) had both his legs amputated because of diabetes about a decade ago. Last year, the wheelchair-bound government retiree had his left hand amputated due to gangrene.

However, Abdul Rahim is not registered as a Person with Disabilities (PWD) with the Social Welfare Department. Consequently, he does not receive any benefit or assistance from the JKM (Social Welfare Department) for disabled people.

Why did he fail to register with the JKM?

“Nobody told me to do so. And I really don’t know about any form of assistance that is available from the government,” he said.

FAILURE TO REGISTER

The United Nations estimates that the number of persons with disabilities in Malaysia is about 2.8 million, or 10 per cent of its population of 28 million.

However, JKM statistics, as of August 2010, showed that only 313,685 PWD are registered with the department. This means there are several disabled people in the country who have not registered with JKM.

Since they are not registered, they cannot benefit from the provisions under the Persons with Disabilities Act.

“There are several cases like Abdul Rahim. Disabled people who fail to register lose many benefits, such as a monthly cash assistance of up to RM300, free hospitalisation in government hospitals, and assistance in getting prosthetic limbs to replace amputated limbs,” said a JKM officer who declined to be named.

LACK OF FACILITIES?

When the number of disabled people in a certain area is not known, the authorities are unable to make plans for them, such as providing special schools or classes for handicapped children and other disabled-friendly facilities.

The biggest challenge for the handicapped is getting jobs; the main obstacle to their efforts in this direction is the discrimination against them.

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul jalil, the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, said disabled people have limited opportunities to obtain training, information, support and career guidance services.

“Society should change its attitude towards the disabled in order to help them get jobs,” she said during the celebrations of the 2010 World Day for the Handicapped in Kuala Lumpur.

She noted that the government needs to know the exact number of disabled people, their respective disabilities and the locations of their homes. These details were crucial for planning and implementing welfare programmes.

“They are required to provide the necessary facilities to meet their needs,” she added.

IN RURAL AREAS

Social activist Gurmukh Singh said that several disabled individuals, particularly those staying in rural areas, are yet to register themselves with the JKM.

“First, they do not know the existence of any assistance from the government. Second, they do not know the procedure of how to receive such assistance.”

For instance, he said disabled people are often unaware that they need a doctor’s medical report before they can register themselves.

“The medical report is important since it verifies that the person is handicapped,” he noted.

In other cases, handicapped individuals might not stay near a JKM office, which also deters them from registering.

“In order to get the assistance of the government, a disabled person must be registered first. Family members should offer advice and help them to do so,” added Gurmukh Singh.

– BERNAMA

Isu Pelajar OKU di Universiti Malaya

I just got a call from the Hal Ehwal pelajar people regarding a meeting this coming monday to discuss about issues pertaining to disabled students in Universiti Malaya. I will address this matter straight on that we need to get a university policy and procedure in place and be assertive and decisive on this matter. I will try my best to press these points across.

As a reference, I was quoted in an article before in Berita Harian (see below) and someone in their blog referred to the article. Other links on masalah OKU.

Penarafan IPT wajar ambil kira prasarana pelajar istimewa

Oleh Ratinawati Rasidi
ratinawati@bharian.com.my
2010/07/31

PENARAFAN tujuh Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA) dan 11 Institut Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS) mencapai tahap cemerlang atau Tier 5 oleh Agensi Kelayakan Malaysia (MQA) baru-baru ini pasti membanggakan warga kampus masing-masing.Kira-kira 25 IPTA dan swasta lain tergolong dalam Tier 4 iaitu tahap Sangat Baik, manakala empat universiti dan kolej universiti swasta menduduki Tier 3 iaitu pada tahap Baik.Apa pun, Sistem Penarafan Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (SETARA) dijadikan kayu ukur untuk meletakkan institusi ini pada kedudukan berdasarkan kriteria ditetapkan, iaitu 25 kriteria yang digariskan dalam program SETARA yang meliputi tiga dimensi generik iaitu input, proses dan output dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran.

Persoalan mula timbul apabila kriteria yang dinilai hanya bersandarkan kepada pembelajaran dan pengajaran. Jika itu dijadikan sandaran, pasti agak sukar bagi IPT di negara ini untuk menyaingi IPT antarabangsa. Bukan hanya hasil kajian, artikel mahupun jurnal perlu diperhatikan sebagai kaedah untuk membuat penilaian. Banyak kriteria penting lain yang perlu dipertimbangkan.

Kemudahan asas secara menyeluruh juga perlu diambil kira. Sebagai contoh, kemudahan untuk golongan orang kurang upaya (OKU). Persekitaran bebas adalah halangan bagi memudahkan pergerakan mereka. Ia bukan saja membabitkan kemudahan fizikal, malah pengurusan, komunikasi, kebolehcapaian teknologi maklumat dan sebagainya sebagai alat bantu ketika belajar mahupun mengajar.

Pensyarah Fakulti Alam Bina, Universiti Malaya, Dr Naziaty Mohd Yaacob mengakui jika penarafan sedia ada dijadikan sandaran, pasti ia masih belum memadai.

“Saya rasa persaingan ini hanya dalam kalangan kita saja, apakah ukuran itu memadai untuk kita bersaing pada peringkat antarabangsa. Kita perlu mencabar diri kita untuk menjadi lebih cemerlang,” katanya.

Beliau yakin MQA boleh memainkan peranan dengan memastikan antara kriteria yang bakal dinilai harus membabitkan dasar khusus untuk warga OKU.

“Kami sebagai warga OKU sudah pasti akan meningkat usia dan memerlukan kemudahan yang memudahkan kami menjalankan tugas. Adalah tidak wajar bagi IPT untuk menyingkirkan ahli akademik terutama profesor dan pensyarah yang banyak melakukan kajian dan menulis jurnal hanya kerana ada kekurangan, lebih-lebih lagi fizikal,” katanya.

Malah, di luar negara sudah wujud dasar yang membabitkan OKU dan IPT antarabangsa mampu mewujudkan sebuah universiti komuniti yang menyediakan pelbagai kemudahan untuk warga kampus dan orang awam agar bersama-sama melakukan pelbagai aktiviti.

Lebih menarik lagi, katanya, IPT seperti Universiti Kebangsaan Cheng Kung, Tainan, Taiwan menyediakan kemudahan yang baik untuk warga OKU.

Beliau yang baru-baru ini melawat universiti itu mengakui adalah mudah untuk beliau bergerak dari satu tempat ke tempat lain dalam kawasan kampus. Kemudahan mengakses bahan rujukan turut disediakan. Beliau juga menjadikan Jepun sebagai contoh.

“Di sana, saya mampu bergerak bebas dengan kerusi roda.

“Kita sering terlupa bukan hanya insan sempurna saja memerlukan pendidikan. OKU juga mengharapkan perhatian. Malangnya, kebanyakan IPT di negara ini tidak menyediakan prasarana mahupun alat bantuan yang boleh memudahkan golongan ini,” katanya.

Jangan hanya ingin mengejar penarafan, kita hampir terlupa untuk memenuhi tanggungjawab lain sehingga meminggir dan menekan tenaga pengajar. Apapun, 11 IPT yang gagal mendapat penarafan kerana pelbagai sebab perlu meneruskan usaha untuk mencapai satu kedudukan lebih baik dan mempertimbangkan kemudahan yang belum disediakan oleh IPT lain, agar kesaksamaan mencari ilmu dapat dinikmati, terutama mereka yang kurang bernasib baik.

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