Category: Articles

Leading is no easy task
October 4, 2015, Sunday Peter Tan, mail@petertan.com

LEADERSHIP comes with heavy responsibilities. There is no glamour in it, really. A lot of hard work is involved in connecting people to one another, initiating projects, making sure everything is running as smoothly as possible and quickly resolving those that aren’t. It surely is not a walk in the park for those taking on this role.

As I am required to take on increasing responsibilities in this aspect because of the work I am involved in, I have been pondering over how I can be effective as a leader, make the organisation function more efficiently and put in place what is lacking.

My involvement as an ordinary member in several disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) gave me valuable insights into their workings. Regrettably, one which I have been with since 1987 was deregistered recently because there were conflicts over money between its leaders and in the process they flouted the constitution, which resulted in the harsh action by the Registrar of Societies.

Needless to say, organisations cannot function without leaders. It is high time to develop more leaders to strengthen the disability movement. I keep seeing the same faces when attending local conferences. Evidently, there is a lack of young leaders to take over the mantle after the current batch. This gap has to be addressed urgently.

Leaders usually start off with lofty ideals: develop the organisation, expand the membership base, raise funds to help members, organise events to promote awareness and eventually build a spanking new building to house the office and run activities.

Over time, these leaders who have been in the same position for a long time tend to place themselves on pedestals. They discard their ideals and use the organisations to pursue their own personal agendas instead. They become more concerned with the survival of their positions and disregard the aspirations of the members.

They consequently lose sight of the objectives and purpose of why they were there in the first place. All they do becomes mechanical. They are reduced to doing simply for the sake of doing. When the leadership becomes jaded like this, the organisation is doomed to failure. If I may say so, these leaders are reflections of some of the politicians we have today.

Oftentimes, decisions made by leaders are unilateral. Ordinary members have no opportunity to be involved in the decision making. They seem to have forgotten the battle cry of “Nothing about us without us” – where they implore the powers that be to include them in the process.

It is the individual members who make up the collective that contributes to the success of any organisation. Decisions that affect all members in general should be by consensus of all rather than the elected few as far as possible.

My major gripe with most organisations is that pertinent information seldom trickles down to the grassroots. The tail doesn’t know what the head is doing or thinking. Truth be told, I have no idea about the programmes of the organisations which I am an ordinary member of except for the reports that come with the notice for the annual general meetings. This should not be the case especially when we are in the Information Age where current news and activities can easily be disseminated.

Many leaders are disconnected from the struggles members have to face on a daily basis. For example, apart from being given wheelchairs and small sums of financial aid, members were seldom engaged to find out what their problems are and how they can be resolved. Many problems cannot be solved with just equipment and money.

For one, DPOs seldom get involved in cases of discrimination against members who in turn have no choice but to swallow the indignity of such acts. Leaders are reluctant to get involved or are not bothered because they are not directly affected.

The interests of members must come first. That was the reason these DPOs were set up for in the first place. Any act of discrimination should not be tolerated but admonished at the highest level. Leaders who are unwilling to stand up for members of his organisation should step down and let others who are prepared to do it take over.

The psychological aspects related to disabilities are often overlooked. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get support for this from the organisations. The only option available is to seek professional help. In reality, all we need is a listening ear and avenues to express ourselves with like-minded people. Peer support and peer counselling can help ease these needs to a large extent. DPOs should look into developing support in this area as it will be a big boost to the mental well-being of members.

Disability rights education is important but these are seldom organised by DPOs. It is not surprising because a number of leaders I know have a poor grasp of these rights. We can only become empowered if we understand we are also entitled to equal opportunities in social participation like everyone else. Seminars and workshops on such topics can be very useful. Personally, I have gained immensely from these courses. Other disabled people should have the chance to undergo similar programmes as I believe they too will benefit from it.

Having said all that, I have come to the conclusion that, as a leader, I must never lose my sense of humanity and empathy. If there is one privilege a leader has, it is the privilege to serve. No matter what organisation I am involved in, the ultimate purpose is to make things better for fellow humans. I must never forget that. Please ‘lempang’ me if I ever do.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/04/leading-is-no-easy-task/#ixzz3uN47Z3nq

Life is easier with assistive devices
September 27, 2015, Sunday Peter Tan, mail@petertan.com

ONE thing I learnt from working on disability issues is that there is at least one solution to every problem. The methods to accomplish it may not be conventional but what is important is that they work, like how Deng XiaoPing succinctly put it, “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice.”

I once thought being seriously paralysed spelt the end of my independence. I would have to depend on someone else to help me with tasks for the rest of my life. How wrong I was to think like that. I ultimately realised that with human ingenuity, nothing is impossible. Well, almost. There is still no cure yet for spinal cord injury.

One of the tasks I missed most after becoming paralysed was eating at my own pace and time. Food simply didn’t taste as good as it should be when someone else’s hand is doing the feeding. I had no choice because I could not hold a spoon. That went on for six months until I went to see a physiotherapist.

“You should try to use a big-handled spoon,” she told me, and proceeded to give suggestions to my parents on making one.

As soon as we got home, my mother wrapped a thick piece of foam around the spoon’s handle and voila! Although I held it with great difficulty, that little achievement in doing something by myself for myself was priceless. As my fingers eventually grew stronger, I moved on to using regular forks and spoons. Albeit having to hold it in awkward manner, I felt even more liberated.

Tools like these are called assistive devices. They help disabled people become less reliant on others. From simple utensils like cutlery to big ticket items like motorised wheelchairs, all of them allow us some form of control and consequently independence which greatly improve our sense of self-worth.

It was in Japan that I discovered a wide range of tools that could help me achieve more in improving my daily activities. They were probably designed to cater to the needs of the ageing population there. These tools compensate for the loss of dexterity and coordination that elderly people experience. Disabled people became beneficiaries too as our needs are rather similar.

Of all the things I brought back from that trip, the most valuable were a pair of chopsticks and a button hook. Known as hashi zo-kun in Japanese, the chopsticks were invented for people with limited hand function. With it, I could enjoy noodles and food usually eaten with chopsticks again, never mind that the pair cost me almost RM80. The satisfaction of being able to use one is worth many times the price I paid for it.

The button hook was a handmade present from one of the Japanese training facilitators. I asked him through a translator where I could buy one. He said he would make one for me, which he duly gave to me the following morning. Using it needed more effort than I could muster. I have not used it since the last time I had to struggle with buttoning my shirt. It is a valuable keepsake nonetheless.

I must say that we disabled people are a creative lot too. In our enthusiasm to do as much as we can, we often devise ways and means to get around the common as well as uncommon predicaments we face in the course of going about our daily activities, no matter how severe our impairments may be.

Apart from my wheelchair, there are two other assistive devices that I use frequently nowadays. One is the Freewheel. When attached to the wheelchair, it allows me to traverse over rough terrain with ease. It was invented by a wheelchair user who was frustrated with the difficulty in pushing his wheelchair around his backyard. The other is the hand control kit in my car for depressing the brake and accelerator pedals. Without that, I would not be able to drive.

Imagine someone who is totally paralysed from his neck down. He would usually be written off as helpless and hopeless. I have friends who are like that. When I thought I have seen it all, I was thoroughly impressed when I saw them manoeuvring their wheelchairs by just moving the joystick with their chin. The price for such equipment may be expensive but many of us are willing to fork out as much as we can afford just to gain that little bit more of freedom.

Cheap or expensive, there is no doubt assistive devices improve our quality of life. I would not be as independent as I am now without them. Likewise other disabled people need one or several devices to help them in their daily activities.

Assistive devices are exempted from the Goods and Services Tax implemented in April this year. Unfortunately, up till today, disabled people buying wheelchairs still have to pay the 6 per cent tax. No one from the government could tell us exactly how we can apply for the exemption other than saying we have to produce a certificate from our respective organisations.

Executive members of the organisations I enquired with don’t know what these certificates are. Sales staff of shops selling rehabilitation equipment also have no inkling about it. If the government is truly sincere in giving the exemption, they should make the process simple without giving us ambiguous answers and not make us run around like headless chickens.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/09/27/life-is-easier-with-assistive-devices/#ixzz3uN3PFJHS

Of pigs, respect and unity
September 20, 2015, Sunday Peter Tan, mail@petertan.com

I WAS chubby as a baby. My cheeks were so plump they always invited unwelcome pinches from aunts and uncles, friends and even strangers, whenever I was taken out for a stroll. My cuteness then must have led my mother to give me a pet name.

Of all the terms of endearment she could have used, she chose “Babi”. There was no resemblance between me and a piglet or anything close to it in all my baby photos. Perhaps I reminded her of the pig her grandfather reared. She used to revel me with stories of how it would go to her when she called and then rolled over asking for belly rubs.

For the most part of my life when my mother was around, she always called me by that nickname or my Chinese name, but mostly the former. It was awkward whenever she did that in front of friends and neighbours even when I was already in my 20s and 30s.

“Babi, your friends are here,” she would call out loudly from the living room whenever ex-classmates dropped by for a visit or “Babi, Aunty and Uncle so-and-so are here, come out and greet them.”

She was not the only person to use that pet name on me though. As far back as I can remember, my maternal aunts also did the same. Until now, both of them, a septuagenarian and an octogenarian respectively, still call me “Babi” even though I am nearing 50 years old.

My youngest aunt will call occasionally just to see how I am. There is no mistaking who the person on the other end of the line is when I hear her voice asking, “Hello, Babi ah?”

I have never complained. I have never asked them to stop. I don’t find it offensive. The word by itself means pig and nothing else. There is no malice in its usage. In fact, I find it quite adorable. Being called that invokes fond memories of my childhood and of my late mother whom I still think of often.

However, when the word “Babi” is combined with a certain race or community it gives a different meaning altogether. Even for someone who has been called that all my life, I find it utterly distasteful when Malaysians of Chinese descent are called “Cina babi”. It is the way it was used that irked me and many other right-thinking Malaysians.

The press reported that the term “Cina babi” and other unsavoury words were hurled at journalists covering the ‘red shirt’ rally in Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Day. They were said to have tried to speak to some of the rally goers but were heckled and chased away.

What was even more preposterous was the justification of this act by one of the rally leaders. When Datuk Jamal Md Yunos was asked about that incident at a press conference later, he said the word “Babi” is sensitive for the Malays because it is forbidden for Muslims to consume pork but it should not be a problem when used on the Chinese because it is food to us.

“Why are we making a big issue out of this?” he asked.

True, we eat pork. My favourite dishes include roti babi, pork satay and bak kut teh, all of which I seldom get to indulge in often any more because of my health condition. The celebration of major Chinese festivals are not considered complete without the inclusion of a roast pig or two.

Porcine metaphors are popular in Chinese culture. Pigs are usually portrayed as lazy and stupid. There are various sayings and similes associating them with these undesirable traits. It is even featured as the last animal in the Chinese zodiac.

Nevertheless, in his defence of rally-goers for using those words, Jamal has totally missed the point. If the purpose was to denigrate and insult a particular community, of which there is ample and irrefutable video proof in this case, then it certainly is not acceptable.

He also seemed to be ignorant of the fact that there are Muslims who are Chinese too. It was apparent his world view in this matter is myopic, shallow and appalling. What is not good for the goose is not good for the gander. People who find offence at certain words should not use those same words on others. It is as simple as that. Otherwise, it is hypocrisy.

We should remind ourselves that, as Malaysians, we are a unique breed. We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multicultural society. Harmony and unity can only come from understanding and respecting each other’s beliefs and practices. If we can use this diversity to our advantage, we surely can become a great nation again.

This also reminds me that I have not spoken to my aunts

for a while now. They are almost like mothers to me, always concerned about my well-being. I guess they will always see me as their little nephew no matter how old I am. I should ring to see how they are and hear my youngest aunt answer the phone with that familiar greeting, “Hello, Babi ah?” That will definitely make my day.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/09/20/of-pigs-respect-and-unity/#ixzz3uN2gVPub