Use budget allocation for disabled training

V Murugeswaran Oct 19, 10 4:18pm

The government had allocated RM6.4 billion under the 2011 Budget for the Education Ministry to build and upgrade schools, hostels, facilities and equipment.

The Ministry of Education shall draw up an intensive and comprehensive plan to ensure the money allocated to upgrade schools will be utilized in line with the ‘inclusive education’ system.

The inclusive education system comprises of an accessible infrastructure and well-trained teachers whom can cater for all students.

The inclusive system will enable the disabled students to attend ‘normal schools’ just like their normal peers without being segregated to their own group based on their disabilities.

This problem has been long overlooked by the government. The importance of education can be emulated by Edward Everett’s famous quote ‘Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army’.

And a whooping RM1.2 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to carry out various welfare and community programmes which include RM280 million for training programs to benefit 80,000 registered disabled individuals in this country.

I strongly recommend the allocation should be utilized more to provide comprehensive training such as IT courses, automobile repairing, sales and marketing and others to enable the disabled individuals to cope up with the rapidly growing economic and contribute to the productivity of the country.
The writer is president, Damai Disabled Persons Association Sel & WP.

No ramp at bank, so they have to wait outside for transactions

2010/10/17

The disabled wait outside the bank for its officers to attend to them. — Picture by Hazreen Mohamad

KEPONG

For the past two years, disabled workers on wheelchairs from Seri Kepong Baru have been doing their banking transactions outside the Persiaran Mergastua BSN branch here.

These people have to wait outside, come rain or shine, unlike the able-bodied customers who enjoy a conducive banking environment within the premises.

The bank has no ramp access, and as such wheelchair-bound customers cannot get inside.

This group of people are regular customers at the BSN branch as they have to withdraw their Disabled Workers Allowance (DWA) of RM300 banked into their account by the Social Welfare Department.

The DWA is an incentive introduced in 2008 by the government for disabled workers, registered with the department, earning RM750 or less a month. Its aim was to encourage the disabled to be more productive.

More than a hundred disabled workers have been suffering since the transaction is done outside the bank, where a bank officer goes back and forth to the counter inside to process their transactions, before the money is handed over under public scrutiny.

Handicraft maker Mehboob Sulaiman said she was not keen on having her transaction done in the open as it makes her a target for theft.

"I have no choice but to do my banking transactions outside as there are no ramps built for us. The ramps and hand-held bars will be useful not only for the disabled but old folks, too, who find using the staircase cumbersome," she said.

Trader A. Rajoo said that on one occasion, he and his wife were forced to leave the bank as there was no bank officer to help them.

Although Rajoo said he had asked a bank customer to get a bank officer to come outside, no one came.

"As it had started to rain, we had to go home," he said.

Damai Disabled Persons Association president V. Murugeswaran said the bank should consider installing disabled friendly facilities, and treat the disabled customers like any other.

"We had a similar problem with another bank but they took our plea seriously and made it possible for us to access the bank. We hope the same can be done here," he said.

Disabled can do more if we help the right way

Monday October 18, 2010

THE Government has allocated RM6.4bil for the Education Ministry to build and upgrade schools, hostels, facilities and equipment.

The Ministry is to draw up an intensive and comprehensive plan to ensure the money allocated will be utilised in line with an “inclusive” education system.

The inclusive education system comprises accessible infrastructure and well-trained teachers to meet the needs of all students.

The system will thus enable disabled students to attend “normal” schools just like their peers without being segregated.

This problem has been long overlooked by the Government. The importance of education can be emulated by Edward Everett’s famous quote “Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army”.

A whooping RM1.2bil has been allocated to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to carry out various welfare and community programmes, including RM280mil for training programmes to benefit the 80,000 registered disabled individuals in Malaysia.

I strongly recommend that the allocation be utilised more to provide comprehensive training programmes such as IT courses, automobile repairing, sales and marketing and others to enable the disabled to cope with the rapidly growing economic.

It will also help them contribute to the productivity of the country.

Mr. V.MURUGESWARAN,

President, Damai Disabled Persons Association,

Selangor and Wilayah Perseketuan.

Budget 2011: Help the disabled

2010/10/18

THE government has allocated RM6.4 billion to the Education Ministry as development expenditure to build and upgrade schools, hostels, facilities and equipment.

The ministry should draw up a comprehensive plan to ensure that the money is utilised in line with the "inclusive education" system.

The inclusive education system comprises an accessible infrastructure and well-trained teachers who can cater for all students.

The inclusive system will enable disabled students to attend "normal schools" just like their normal peers without being segregated based on their disabilities

.

This problem has been long overlooked by the government.

The importance of education can be seen in Edward Everett's famous words: "Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army".

A huge sum of RM1.2 billion has been allocated to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to carry out various welfare and community programmes, which include RM280 million for training programmes to benefit 80,000 registered disabled people in the country.

I strongly recommend that the allocation be utilised more to provide comprehensive training and courses on fields such as information technology, automobile repair, sales and marketing to enable the disabled to cope with the current economic situation and contribute to the country.

V. MURUGESWARAN,

President of Damai Disabled Persons Association (Selangor and Federal Territory)

Maybank PJ Main

Bravo Maybank PJ Main Branch - with accessible facilities

Perkhidmatan BANK Komuniti yang tidak mesra OKU

Surat kepada BSN dan Bank Negara Berhubung perkara diatas

Saya merujuk kepada perkara di atas.

Persatuan Damai ingin membawa perhatian pihak Tuan terhadap masalah yang dihadapi oleh golongan OKU dalam menggunakan fasiliti-failiti yang disediakan oleh BSN memandangkan kebanyakkan daripada cawangan BSN adalah tidak mesra OKU. Malah , kami telah membawa kepada perhatian media akan kesukaran yang ahli-ahli persatuan kami secara khususnya dan kesemua komuniti OKU secara amnya alami di Kepong sewaktu ingin mengeluarkan elaun OKU setiap bulan.

It’s not a walk in the park to get your welfare aid

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/10979-its-not-a-walk-in-the-park-to-get-your-welfare-aid

Trying time for the disabled

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=central&file=/2010/10/2/central/7145026

BSN vows to be disabled-friendly

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/11320-bsn-vows-to-be-disabled-friendly

Pihak BSN telah melalui satu kenyataan akhbar online (Free Malaysia Today) menyatakan bahawa akan mengambil langkah segera bagi mengatasi masalah tersebut. Namun begitu sehingga hari ini kami masih tidak nampak sebarang langkah positif yang diambil oleh pihak BSN untuk mengotakan janjinya.

Pihak BSN mengelar dirinya sebagai satu “Bank Komuniti” namun begitu cawangan-cawangannya tidak mesra OKU, ini jelas menunjukkan golongan OKU di Negara ini tidak termasuk dalam definisi “Komuniti” yang dimaksudkan oleh BSN.

Baru-baru ini kami telah berkerjasama dengan pihak Maybank bagi isu yang sama. Pihak Maybank telah memgubahsuai beberapa cawangan mereka dan dalam proses untuk mengubahsuai lebih banyak lagi cawangannya agar ianya dapat berkhidmat kepada golongan OKU di Negara ini. Sila rujuk laman blog persatuan Damai untuk mendapatkan gambaran lanjut. http://damaidisabledpersonsassociation.blogspot.com/

Bagi pengetahuan pihak BSN terdapat undang-undang kecil (UBBL) yang memerlukan semua bangunan awam dibina dengan spesifikasi mesra OKU. Saya lampirkan disini sesalinan undang-undang kecil tersebut bagi rujukan pihak BSN.

Mr. V.Murugeswaran

PRESIDENT

Damai Disabled Persons Association Sel & W.P.

No. 4, Lorong 1A/71J, Jalan Carey,

46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel : 03 7782 3603 / Fax: 03 7782 3962.

Website: www.damai.org.my