Renungan Hari Kemerdekaan Ke-50: Kemerdekaan Untuk Siapa?

Peter Tan trying to board a RapidKL bus at Bangsar LRT Station

Protest at Brickfields against inaccessible public transport on International Day of Disabled Persons 2006

Pada hari Kemerdekaan Ke-48 yang lalu, saya telah bertanya “Kemerdekaan Untuk Siapa?” dalam blog ini. Dua tahun sudah berlalu dan saya masih lagi menanya soalan yang sama. Negaraku yang tercinta meraikan 50 tahun kemerdekaan pada hari yang mulia ini. Tetapi apakah maknanya kemerdekaan untuk aku yang masih tidak benar-benar rasa merdeka di tanah tumpah darahku? Apakah kami yang digolongkan sebagai OKU tidak berhak untuk mengecapi kebebasan untuk bergerak dengan mudah ataupun menggunakan pengangkutan awam seperti warga lain? Apakah maknanya kemerdekaan sesebuah negara kalau masih ada lagi rakyatnya yang hidup dalam keadaan serta persekitaran yang penuh dengan rintangan? Malaysiaku sudah 50 tahun merdeka. Rakyat OKU masih tidak merdeka. Inilah hakikatnya.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “Renungan Hari Kemerdekaan Ke-50: Kemerdekaan Untuk Siapa?”

  1. Saya mengambil kesempatan ini mengucapkan Dato’ Tony kerana dapat mengotakan janji dalam masa kurang daripada 2 bulan. Syabas dan tahniah kepada Dato’ Tony dan seisi keluaga AIR ASIA.

  2. yea man…stick it to them. based on what is seen in the 1st photo, it looks impossible to get onto those buses aint it? i even wrote abit abt it. all the demo only fell on deaf ears. i doubt they’ll rectify just to accomodate us in the near future.

    salam merdeka to u, pete. oh, and bon voyage too. hv a great trip and all the best with your presentation at the conference.

    Peter:
    Thank you.

  3. Stumbled on your site. I’m Peter Tan too, and forty-something too, but from KL originally but now in Singapore. Keep asking those questions! BM saya mungkin sedikit berkarat tetapi soalanmu memang wajar. Maybe someone will notice and try giving an answer.

    Peter:
    They have the answers but not the political will to do it.

  4. I recently looking forward for OKU issue as Ras Adiba mention lately in 3R. And thank God, there are still lots of people concern and make their effort for this. Previously, in my college, there are OKU students, but the fact that there is only certain people will give attention towards them. Yeah, education and awareness is the best way to make people realise, no matter who there are. Keep on struggling man!

    p/s: do check my blog, i’ve put the link of your weblog there.

    Peter:
    Thank you.

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