The ADUN for Teratai YB Yap Soo Sun, Bendahari Kelab Sukan Komuniti Dun Teratai En. Mohd. Aznam Mohd. Zain, fellow advocate Wang Siew Ming and I went on a walkabout around Pandan Perdana just now. I had copied 2 complaint mails to YB Yap regarding the lamp post in the middle of the walkway that caused Wuan and I to fall onto the road in May last year. Read this, this and this for context.

Wang and I went to see YB Yap in May to follow up with the issue as it was still not resolved one year later. The offending lamp post has since been relocated. Additionally, we proposed to YB Yap to upgrade the commonly used stretch of walkways in Pandan Perdana into an accessible one as this will not only benefit disabled persons but senior citizens, pregnant women and adults with prams as well.

Apart from the walkways, YB Yap has also agreed to build a ramp at the 7-11 store and another at the Hong Leong Bank. He informed us that his application for a grant for this purpose had just been approved. We presented him with a copy of the Malaysian Standard 1331 (1993) Code of Practice for Access for Disabled People Outside Buildings to ensure that the renovations were properly done.

This is a positive development in the advocacy campaign on accessibility. In time, I hope that the entire Pandan Perdana will be fully accessible and eventually all the areas under the jurisdiction of Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya. I look forward to the day when I can move around conveniently around this area without having to risk life and limb.

This is the first morning in many weeks that I have actually woken up refreshed and raring to go.

As a citizen of Malaysia, I hereby object to the suggestion to send the second astronaut into space at the cost of US$30mil (RM102mil) as reported by The Star (Normal to pick space crew at the last minute, says JJ – Tuesday September 25, 2007).

“If Malaysians want him to be sent to space too, I will raise the matter up with the Cabinet. He is after all, ready and able.

He added that the cost of sending the second Malaysian astronaut was estimated to be US$30mil (RM102mil).

This amount can be better used to improve the lives of thousands, if not millions, of our fellow Malaysians. I speak from the viewpoint of a disabled person. This money can be utilised to make the environment and public transport accessible, and support people with severe disabilities who are practicing independent living. These include providing funds for personal assistants and other support services. RM102mil is a lot of money and it should be used judiciously to benefit the most number of people.

For starters, the people at RapidKL kept saying that they do not have the money to make the public transport system under their management accessible. This RM102mil can go a log way towards achieving that. I have spoken to the State Assemblyman for Teratai YB Yap Soo Sun who said that Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya does not have the funds to upgrade the walkways in Pandan Perdana into accessible ones because of the shortage of funds. RM102mil can do wonders to make all the walkways accessible. These are two examples how the RM102mil can be better spent. Why look so far away into outer space when things that are right before our eyes still need a lot of money and work? Lets get the priorities right here.

Related entry:
Malaysian Going To Outer Space, Disabled Persons Still Stuck At Home