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
