At a time when my faith was at the lowest of lowest, when I felt all filthy and unworthy, He sent His angel to gently nudge me back to the path to His Kingdom. He made me see the error of my ways. He reminded me that I have yet to deliver many of the promises that I made to Him. When my Lord gives me only a slap on the wrist for my transgressions what else could I do but be grateful for a second chance and heed His calling once again.

Wuan and I had a productive day yesterday. Early in the morning, we were at UMMC for my first ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder there. After circling around the hospital compound several times looking for a parking space Wuan dropped me off at the drop off zone to find a place to park as I was already late for the appointment. Nothing new from the radiologist’s initial observation - hydronephrosis of the kidneys, left kidney athropied and a neurogenic bladder. In short, my kidneys are in a bad shape.

After the ultrasound, we went to Wangsa Maju to have the car inspected at Puspakom. We needed to get the hand control attachment inspected and then get the vehicle registration card endorsed by the JPJ. The inspection cost RM15. The officer checked the chassis and engine number, briefly glanced into the car cabin, asked Wuan what the attachment under the steering column was and nodded when she explained. Wuan had to remove the tinting film on the front windscreen because it did not allow enough light through.

When we finally got the inspection report, it was already 1230pm. The JPJ Wilayah Persekutuan for was just next to Puspakom. We wanted to get the vehicle registration endorsed on the same day to save us the trouble of having to go all the way there again. After lunch, we went to JPJ. An idiotic motorist parked his motor just beside the car. There was a slight drizzle. We wondered if I should go with Wuan to get the endorsement or wait for her in the car. We finally decided that it would speed things up if the officer saw me in person.

There as just enough space to open the car door on my side. After I transferred to the wheelchair, Wuan retreated a little to allow me to back out my wheelchair. When I heard her shriek, I thought I had rolled over her toes. She had actually burnt herself on the exhaust pipe of the motorcycle. We cursed under our breath as that space beside our car was supposed to be left vacant for wheelchair users’ ease of movement into and out of the car. Fortunately, the burn was not that bad.

We went to the customer relations office to get the officer to assist us with the procedures of getting the endorsement. He filled up some forms and directed Wuan to a counter one floor above. All was completed in thirty minutes. That was another major hurdle conquered. Wuan and I were upbeat and chatted merrily on the way back. I can almost feel the exhilaration of driving legally soon.

We went back to pick up William and Cynthia who had agreed to accompany us to pick up Wuan’s digital camera at Canon Malaysia’s head office office at Shah Alam. The LCD screen of her Canon Powershot A95 could not display images properly during shooting mode but could display the images from the compact flash. The officer who served Wuan a few week earlier believed that it was a connection problem. The problem was rectified at no charge. The memory card cover of the same camera was also broken. It was replaced at RM35 – very expensive for a small piece of flimsy plastic.

That was a full day for us, running all over the Klang Valley. Later today, William, Cynthia, Wuan and I are going out for our usual weekend movie outing. It has been a while since we have watched a movie as we were busy with work respectively. I am looking forward to a relaxing evening. After several busy weeks, I really need this pick-me-up to propel me into another hectic week.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the National Education Blueprint (Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan 2006 - 2010) at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre on January 16. Present at the launching were Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein whose ministry drew up the blueprint, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.

There is not a doubt that education is integral to the development of the country and our aspiration to become a developed nation by 2020. That is just a short thirteen years away. Therefore, it is timely that the Ministry of Education has taken this initiative to take us to the next level in formal education to ensure that we are well prepared to face the challenges ahead.

When I read about the launching of the National Education Blueprint, the question of what is in there for disabled persons cropped up naturally. Skimming through the document, I discovered that not enough detail was specified to address the needs of students with impairments. Will these integrated schools, inclusive schools and special education schools that were mentioned in the blueprint accept children with severe impairments that need assistance and support or is it only for those who can manage themselves independently and are reasonably mobile?

Not too long ago, there were reports of wheelchair users who were unable to attend regular schools because of the lack of accessible amenities. Recently, I heard of how a fellow training mate who is blind had to study in a school 500km away from his village and some friends with hearing impairment having to stay in a residential school for special education in Penang and far away from their respective hometowns to complete their secondary education.

Imagine a teenager having to spend most part of his growing up years torn away from his family. How many parents of non-disabled children would consent to this form of separation? However, these disabled teenagers and their parents have no choice because without education they would be even more marginalised from society, especially when it comes to employment opportunities.

A disabled child should have the same rights as any other child to education in mainstream schools of their choice. They should be able to study together with children of their age. Inclusive educational policies have many advantages over segregated education. The UNESCO Salamanca Statement drawn up in 1994 stated the benefits very clearly:

Regular schools with this inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all; moreover, they provide an effective education to the majority of children and improve the efficiency and ultimately the cost-effectiveness of the entire education system.

The National Educational Blueprint has identified this area to work on and has set a target to achieve it. While it is all nice in paper, implementation of this objective must be real and not mere printed words only. Sometimes, providing an accessible environment and making some minor adjustments to the present school set-up will be sufficient to accommodate disabled children. Other times, it may need extra consideration and more effort for children with multiple impairments. These children must be given the same opportunities nonetheless.

That said, one nagging issue still remains in my mind although I am sure there are more. How are disabled students supposed to attend regular schools when there is no accessible public transport for those who need it? While I am all praises for the foresight of the Ministry of Education, my opinion is that the only way to make this successful is to have a blueprint that looks into every aspect and the ancillary components related to education. Having a cart without the wheels would render it useless. All the ministries must come together to draw up a comprehensive national master plan to tackle related issues to make it work.

Malaysia’s socio-political blog taikor Jeff Ooi of Screenshots together with Ahirudin Attan of Rocky’s Bru was sued by the taikors at New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad for defamation. When you keep hurling rocks at the hunchback’s hut, he is bound to come out to even up the score. The outcome of this suit will be very interesting and closely watched. It will determine the direction of blogging in Malaysia, especially socio-political blogging. May the truth and the righteous prevail.

It is raining outside. I am melancholic. Rita Coolidge is singing. My heart says live for the moment. My head says I wish I could. The worrywart in me is fidgety. Why are you not living one day at a time, the sane me asks. Because I have no answer to that, the confused me replies. I am wearing too many hats, I tell myself. Let go and let God, my long forgotten spiritual self reassures. That is exactly what I need to do.