Disabled have it doubly hard

EVERY year, we read of disabled students who have done well in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) but missed out on scholarships from the Public Service Department (PSD).

A possible reason for this could be that there is no special category for disabled students although there exists a category for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

This is confirmed by PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah.

"It is a sensitive issue," he says.

Abu Bakar also believes the PSD scholarships cannot continue to be based only on merit because this will not be fair to potential students from the rural areas.

"Most of the students who scored outstanding results in the SPM come from the excellent schools (sekolah cemerlang) which have good facilities, whereas many of the students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds come from regular schools."

Abu Bakar says that there should be more scholarships for this group of students.

Damai Disabled Persons Association president V. Murugeswaran urges the government to look into creating a special category for disabled students in reviewing the policy on PSD scholarships.

He says it is not fair to expect disabled students to pass their examinations with flying colours when they are not competing on a level playing field with students without disabilities.

Murugeswaran says aside from the lack of facilities for the disabled in schools and other places of learning, such as public libraries, disabled students face other obstacles as well.

"If you're wheelchair-bound, you will face problems in getting transportation to school. If you're blind, the only library where you can get 'talking materials' is at the Malaysian Association for the Blind. Even the National Library does not have that facility."

Murugeswaran says the government could also consider lowering the bar for disabled students applying for scholarships.

"There are only a few students with disabilities who can achieve excellent results despite their limitations but for the others, we should still have a way for them to pursue courses with the grades that they have achieved," he says.

Currently, many disabled students may not even bother to apply for a scholarship from the PSD as they know that they do not meet the minimum criteria.

"These students end up going to the Welfare Department and they will be sent to a vocational training centre in Bangi to learn to sew and make handicraft."

Not many private bodies offer scholarships for disabled students either. There is the Shell Centenary Scholarship for Disabled Students but it is open only to disabled students from Sarawak.

"Disability does not prevent students from having the passion to further their studies. The association gets calls from corporations seeking to hire the disabled as receptionists and telephone operators. We shouldn't be limited to these kinds of jobs.

"Unfortunately, it will be hard to go further without a paper qualification. This is where the government should step in to provide the necessary assistance," he says.

The association has to date, obtained funding from generous individuals to enable two disabled students to pursue their studies. 

Recently, it was reported that two disabled students had failed to get scholarships. They will now get to pursue their studies after appealing to the PSD.

One of the students is Teoh Bee Kah, who was born with the nystagmus condition (a form of involuntary eye movement).

The government is being urged to consider lowering the bar for disabled students applying for scholarships.

She was awarded a full scholarship for an 18-month Foundation in Business Studies course at the University of Nottingham's Malaysian campus in Semenyih.

Teoh, who is from Penang, scored 4A+, 3As and 3A- in last year's SPM examination.

MEETING MBSA - TOWARDS SAFE AND OBSTACLE FREE CITY

Damai Association has been elected by Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam ( MBSA ) to sit in their council meeting which will be held every 3 months . 

More positive changers will be introduce by Damai officials to achieve their intention to make Shah Alam to be obstacle free city

DBKL responded positively ( Parking issue in-front of all Maybank in KL resolved )

Condolences from DAMAI to all the people in JAPAN

Our hearts goes out to all the families who had lost their loved ones, their home, their happiness and their life due to this catastrophe. We hope the least casualties and human losses. We are sure that Japan and its ever generous people will be able to stand on its feet soon again.

Response Letter From Ketua Polis Negara with Regards to Inaccessible Police Station

PM Umum Projek Kereta Kabel Di Batu Caves

Hasil usaha persatuan damai selama lebih 12 tahun akhirnya telah mendatangkan satu rahmat kepada semua penganut hindu oku dan juga kepada semua rakyat di dalam dan dari luar negara

TERIMA KASIH KAMI UCAPKAN KEPADA PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA DATUK SERI NAJIB DAN JUGA KEPADA JAWATANKUASA KUIL SRI MAHA MARIAMMAN

20/01/2011 21:05:03 

1:53

1:53

Sambutan hari Thaipusam tahun ini pastinya lebih bermakna buat ribuan penganut Hindu negara ini apabila ada hadiah istimewa dikhabarkan.

Lebih manis apabila Perdana Menteri sendiri yang mengumumkannya iaitu pembinaan kereta kabel di Batu Caves yang dijadual siap tahun depan.

Ini lawatan kedua Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak ke Batu Caves sempena sambutan hari Thaipusam.

Lawatan pertama tahun lalu.

Perdana Menteri tiba kira kira 10 pagi.

Beliau disambut Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kuil Sri Maha Mariamma, Datuk R. Nadarajah, pemimpin tertinggi MIC serta 200 ribu penganut Hindu.

Sambutan turut dimeriahkan pelancong dalam dan luar negara. 

Menyedari ramai yang mengunjungi Batu Caves terutama semasa perayaan Thaipusam, Perdana Menteri mengumumkan berita gembira ini.

Projek kereta kabel yang kata Datuk Seri Najib akan jadi satu tarikan kepada Batu Caves.

Sepanjang 250 meter, perkhidmatan itu juga bakal memberi kemudahan kepada penganut agama Hindu kurang upaya dan warga emas.

Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak/Perdana Menteri "Tak payah naik 272 anak tangga tapi boleh meluncur ke atas dan boleh sampai terus ke atas ini satu tarikan juga buat pelancong dan ramai akan berkunjung ke Batu Caves apabila siap cable car ini."

Projek berharga RM10 juta itu akan dilaksanakan tidak lama lagi.

Majlis menandatangani perjanjian persefahaman mengenainya disaksikan Perdana Menteri.

Ia antara pengurusan Kuil Sri Maha Mariamman dengan Damodar And Conveyer Construction Limited, Calcutta, India.

BATU CAVES CABLE CAR FOR THE DISABLED PROMISE BY DATUK NAJIB BY 2012 - ANOTHER MILESTONE SUCCESS BY DAMAI ASSOCIATION WHOM HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THE CABLE CAR IN BATU CAVES SINCE 1999

 

Thaipusam: Cable car helps the disabled

I REFER to the announcement on the revival of cable car service in Batu Caves ("Cable car service in Batu Caves next year" -- NST, Jan 16).

I welcome the news. It is indeed a long-awaited announcement from the temple management.

The Damai Disabled Persons Association of Selangor and Federal Territory advocates the need for the temple management and authorities to revive the cable car service.

The cable car service not only benefits the disabled but also senior citizens and people with health problems.

However, I hope the plan is carried out as promised.

This is because the matter was highlighted by then MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu on Feb 2, 2007, and was reported in newspapers.

But the service did not materialise.

The disabled community was left in a dilemma for nearly three years regarding the status of the cable car project.

In fact, the Damai association had on many occasions written to the temple management to inquire about the project following the 2007 announcement but nothing was forthcoming until we read the news.

We urge the temple management to consult the disabled community to ensure the project will take into account the correct and safe design for people with disability and senior citizens.

This is to ensure that the money allocated is used effectively.

The contractor should ensure that the cable car is built in accordance with universally-accepted designs and that it is safe for the disabled.

The project will bring light to many disabled people who cannot climb the 272 steps to pray to Lord Muruga.

Next year will be a historic Thaipusam for the disabled in this country if this project materialises.

V. MURUGESWARAN,

President

Damai Disabled Persons Association of Selangor and Federal Territory

Direct trains to Batu Caves for Thaipusam and Disabled person to Batu Caves will be able to take a cable car ride in 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: Saturday January 15, 2011

Devotees heading to Batu Caves for Thaipusam can look forward to a faster and more convenient journey this year.

KTM Bhd is providing 182 direct shuttle trains between the old KL railway station and Batu Caves in conjunction with the festival.

It will be the first time KTMB is offering the service which will run for three days from Jan 19 to 21. Thaipusam falls on Jan 20.

An additional 36 trains will also be provided for return trips on other routes which are the Rawang-KL, Seremban-KL and the Klang-Batu Caves lines.

“We expect 80,000 people to use the additional services this year,”said KTMB commuter services senior manager Azreen Mohamed Yusup, adding that food and drink stalls as well as a reflexology corner would be set up at the Batu Caves station.

She said passengers will also enjoy a special discount on ticket prices from any station heading towards Batu Caves.

Meanwhile, visitors to Batu Caves will be able to take a cable car ride to the Sri Subramaniam Swamy Temple at the top of the hill next year.

Temple chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah said the RM10mil project is expected to be completed in time for the 2012 Thaipusam festival.

“The service will benefit the elderly and physically disabled who are unable to climb the 272 stairs,” he said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between the temple management and the developer of the cable car service, Calcutta-based Damodar Ropeways, during Thaipusam on Jan 20.

He added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had accepted the invitation to join the celebrations and witness the signing of the MOU along with Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Vijay Gokhale.

Previous related news highted by Damai Disabled Persons Association

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/1/15/central/5465381&sec=central

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/7/focus/3212858&sec=focus

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/25/nation/5539949&sec=nation

Cable car service in Batu Caves next year 2012

By K. Harinderan


SELAYANG: Devotees and tourists visiting Batu Caves can look forward to using a new cable car service next year instead of climbing up the 272 steps leading to the temple.

The RM10 million cable car project is expected to be completed in time for next year's celebrations.

Temple chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah said: "The service is to cater for the elderly and disabled."


A memorandum of understanding will be signed between the temple management and developer of the cable car project, Damodar Ropeways, a Calcutta-based company on Thursday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will witness the signing of the MoU along with Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Vijay Gokhale.

The annual festival is expected to attract about 1.3 million visitors to the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves.



"In keeping with the public's feedback, arcahanai bags (prayer bags) would be sold for RM3 this year which include one coconut and prayer utensils. Kavadi bearers only need to pay RM5 and devotees are urged not to pay extra as the fees have been standardised this year."

Nadarajah added that the number of stalls within the temple grounds have been reduced to cater for the larger crowd.

There will be about 400 stalls selling a variety of things. He urged visitors to use the rubbish bins to ensure cleanliness on the temple grounds.

The prime minister is expected to address the crowd at 10am on Thaipusam day. He will be joined by other federal and state leaders.

This would be Najib's third visit to Batu Caves since he came into office.

There would also be over 1,000 police personnel and Selayang Municipal Council officers during the festival.

Nadarajah advised visitors to use the KTM Bhd Komuter services to reduce traffic congestion in the area.

KTMB is providing 182 shuttle trains between the old Kuala Lumpur Railway station to Batu Caves from 6.25am onwards from Wednesday to Friday.

The last train from Batu Caves will be at 11.55pm. There will be a train every 30 minutes and passengers will be given a RM1 discount.

An additional 36 trains will also be provided for return trips on the Rawang-KL, Seremban-KL and the Klang-Batu Caves lines.

For details, call KTMB customer service at 1-300 8858 62.

Previous related news heighted by Damai Disabled Persond Association

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/new-straits-times/mi_8016/is_20090209/disabled-devotions/ai_n44430962/

Police stations no land for the disabled

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:17

By Patrick Lee

PETALING JAYA: It isn't easy being a disabled person. Confined to wheelchairs and dependant on crutches, many have had the toughest of times in entering even the most public of places.

V Murugeswaran, president of the Damai Disabled Association found this out the hard way after trying to settle his traffic summons at the Petaling Jaya police station on Dec 6.

With many people present on that day to clear their unpaid traffic summonses, the line to the checking counter stretched out of the police station to a nearby road.

After queueing for half an hour in the sun, the wheelchair-bound Murugeswaran, eventually approached his first obstacle into the police station - the staircase.

"I had difficulty entering the police station due to the stairs," said Murugeswaran,, adding that there was no ramp in sight for him to enter the station.

Luckily, a policeman stationed nearby noticed Murugeswaran,'s plight and carried him over the stairs. He was then presented with a print slip to present for payment at another counter.

The policeman then told him that there would be two more officers to help him scale the next two steps that led to the second counter to settle his payment.

But there were no officers and Murugeswaran,was conveniently ignored by the large crowd who had gathered in the room by the payment counter.

"Many of them were not bothered to extend a helping hand," Murugesan said bitterly as he waited by the steps for assistance.

He then approached a policeman for help, but was fobbed off with excuses. Ignored by officers and passers-by alike, the Damai president had to struggle over the steps himself.

"If you know how to do a 'wheelie' on the wheelchair, you could scale the steps. But you must have a lot of hand strength to do it," he said.

After an arduous attempt, he made it up the stairs and had to take a number to be served. But because of the large crowd, he had to wait for nearly three hours before paying his summons.

Murugeswaran was also not able to leave the room to go to the toilet, as he would have to have decend the steps to use the toilet and brave the climb up the staircase once more.

"My bladder was getting a full, I got fed up of waiting," said Murugeswaran,, who then bulldozed his way through the crowd before reaching the payment counter itself and plead his case.

He was able to pay his summons. Although the episode has annoyed him considerably, the Damai president's experience was not altogether unexpected.

“The attitude of the staff was not friendly, but at the end of the day what can you expect from policemen,” he said. "There is no proper arrangement of helping the public.

"They should have anticipated various types of people wanting to settle their summonses. They only anticipate able-bodied people going there.

"What if I got involved in an accident, and had to make a police report? Making a report takes time, and you have to move around and sometimes use the toilet," he said.

Schools too, are disabled-unfriendly

Murugeswaran said none of the toilets at the station were disabled-friendly and police stations were not the only government buildings that are proving a chore for the disabled.

Dr Tiun Ling Ta, president of the Disabled Association of Malaysia, said that many of the country's courts were unsafe as well.

“ Aside from the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, all courts in the country are not disabled-friendly,” said Tiun, recalling an incident when he fell off a steeply-built ramp trying to get to court.

Tiun said that schools were just as difficult when it came to getting around, which often sidelined disabled students from day-to-day student life.

“We have to go to a normal mainstream school, but these schools aren't catered for us, so we cannot be a part of the activities. We have to be just a bystander,” he said.

He also said that while some buildings had installed ramps for the disabled, many were not built to the Uniformed Building By-Laws (UBBL).

The UBBL is a set of guidelines designed for the mobility of disabled people in urban areas.

Peter Tan, a disabled rights activist, echoed Tiun's sentiments when he had to make a police report at the Pandan Perdana police station two years ago.

“I accompanied my wife there to report a snatch theft. There was a ramp, but it was too steep and dangerous (to climb), even with the assistance of my wife,” Tan told FMT.

“A ramp doesn't necessarily make it accessible. It must have a proper gradient for wheelchair users to go up and down independently,” he said.

ACCESS AUDIT BY DAMAI MEMBERS TOGETHER WITH MBSA Engineering team and council members - click here

Please click on the header above to view the entire album in slide show

V.Murugeswaran, M.Manoharan and Mdm Mahabobee participating in AUDIT ACCESS together with MBSA officials to upgrade facilities for People with disabilities at Menara MBSA, Bus Stop in Seksyen 9 Shah Alam and Laman Budaya .

This will be their pilot project and will continue in stage in other places falls under their jurisdiction

V Murugeswaran live on MHI TV3

Another change to be brought about by DAMAI - Positive Feedback from DBKL

Earlier this year Damai had wrote a letter to Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan to highlight and seek resolution on the allocation of car park for disabled drivers in areas fall under DBKL jurisdiction.

Pursuant to the said letter, Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan Datuk Raja Nong Chik had instructed Ketua Pengarah DBKL to conduct a meeting with Damai’s representative on the said issue (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/8546-disabled-unfriendly-kl-city-hall-comes-under-fire). We had on the same day submitted a memorandum to the Ketua Pengarah seeking an immediate action to resolve the said problem. The Memorandum also contains Damai’s recommendation on the specification and design for disable car park.

Recently, the Ketua Pengarah DBKL has instructed some of their engineers from the “Jabatan Pengangkutan” to look into the highlighted issue. The representative from the Jabatan Pengangkutan had a meeting with Damai committee members last week at DAMAI center

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and identify areas which in need of disabled parking lots. Damai had highlighted to DBKL that all areas under DBKL jurisdiction must provide parking for PWD. DBKL shouldn’t pick and choose areas which can be deemed as “an area urgently requires parking for PWD”.

However we were informed by the representative from DBKL that they want to have a pilot project in specific areas identified by Damai before they can decide to implement the same in all areas within their jurisdiction.

Damai will work together with DBKL to ensure this Pilot Project will be a successful one.Soon we will be seeing more allocated paking for PWD’s in KUALA LUMPUR