NST Online » Letters
2007/10/25
Wheelchair remark: Retract that statement
By : PETER TAN for Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities Kuala Lumpur

AS a wheelchair user for the last 23 years, I am absolutely upset with Jerai member of parliament Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin for telling fellow-MP Karpal Singh that the latter’s use of a wheelchair is a punishment from God (”Kar-pal: Lawyer wrote part of judgment for civil suit” — NST, Oct 23).
Badruddin’s remark is an affront to all wheelchair users, implying that our condition is a punishment and that we are all sinners.

I have been using a wheelchair long enough to have experienced many times such drivel from holier-than-thou people. People must be educated that being disabled is one of the things that can happen to anybody. People can become disabled. People can become afflicted with diseases. It is part of life.

Perhaps Badruddin seldom meets wheelchair users. As an MP, he should turun padang and meet his electorate to realise that they include disabled people, some of whom are wheelchair users.

He should be working towards empowering disabled people instead of insulting us. After all, he was elected to serve the people and not otherwise.
I call on Badruddin to retract that statement and apologise to all wheelchair users and the disabled community for such an insensitive remark. It does not matter if he was targeting Karpal.

His utterance smacked of insensitivity and ignorance and has insulted the dignity of all wheelchair users.

Uncalled for

THE Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled Malaysia is disappointed with the statement made by Badruddin that the disabled in wheelchairs have been punished by God. The statement was uncalled for.

By ASSOC PROF DR TIUN LING TAfor Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled

THE Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association is outraged at the offensive remark made by Badruddin during the parliamentary session on Oct 22. Referring to MP Karpal Singh, he said: “You are no better calling us (BN MPs) animals. You insult people. Now you are in a wheelchair. God has punished you.”

Disability is not a punishment from God. Badruddin reveals his insensitivity and ignorance in making such a statement. The lack of dignity and decorum shown by several MPs during parliamentary debates recently is appalling.

Instead of abusive personal attacks on fellow MPs, they should focus on fulfilling their responsibilities to their electorate.

By BATHMAVATHI KRISHNAN for Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association

Related entry: Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin: Using A Wheelchair Is God’s Punishment
Screenshots - Wheelchair… ‘God has punished you’
Mental Jog - bad, bad, rude, boy!!
Lim Kit Siang - Insensitive, ignorant, deplorable and abhorrenst attack on the Disabled (OKU)

Sunday July 15, 2007

Disabled protest against AirAsia’s ‘discriminatory’ practices

By PAUL CHOO

SEPANG: More than 20 disabled and wheelchair-bound members of the Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (BEAT) held a protest against AirAsia for its refusal to take passengers who were completely immobile.

The protesters headed by BEAT coordinator Christine Lee, and assistant coordinators V. Murugeswaran and Peter Tan, demanded that AirAsia review its policies and take reasonable steps to ensure facilities and services provided at the LCCT were non-discriminatory.

Lee said that unlike KLIA, the LCCT does not incorporate aerobridges, which allow easier access for passengers to board planes.

“Passengers are instead required to walk up a flight of boarding stairs – a daunting task when one is disabled from the waist down,” she added.

Lee said that when booking AirAsia tickets online, a separate icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”.

“If you clicked “yes”, then you won’t be able to proceed with your booking.

“That’s when I called AirAsia’s call centre, and was told that they were unable to accept passengers who are completely immobile.

“This is even stipulated in Air Asia’s terms and conditions!” she alleged.

Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall.

“One would then have to go from the check-in gate to the aircraft without the wheelchair, which is quite absurd,” she added.

Murugeswaran pointed out that AirAsia also stipulated that the carriage of persons with limited mobility was subject to whether they were able to climb the boarding stairs unaided or aided.

“Passengers who are unable to board the stairs without any assistance would be requested to travel with a carer or companion.

“This is blatantly discriminating, unfair and unacceptable. We want to be independent and not have to rely on other people to chaperon us when travelling,” he said, adding that nothing has been despite BEAT holding a dialogue with AirAsia on the matter more than two years ago.

During the protest, BEAT also urged Malaysia Airports Berhad to ensure all new and old airports in the country were equipped with facilities to improve accessibility to disabled passengers.

When contacted, an AirAsia spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the matter for the moment.

Click for larger image.
Image by ReallyBites.

Related entry:
NST - May 20, 2007: Disabled want access to buses
Memorandum Regarding Accessible Buses For Disabled Persons To Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan
The Star - May 20, 2007: Survey on needs of the wheelchair-bound
Forum on Public Transport for Disadvantaged Groups

North
Tuesday April 17, 2007

Don’t leave us out, urge wheelchair-bound commuters

WHEELCHAIR users do not want to be left behind when RapidPenang’s 150 buses ply the streets in Penang in August.

Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group (Beat) coordinator Christine Lee said that non-step, low floor buses should be made available for the public, including senior citizens and wheelchair bound commuters.

She expressed concern over a statement by State Local Govern-ment, Traffic Management, Informa-tion and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan that the state would not provide special buses for the disabled who use wheelchairs.

She pointed out that the statement contradicted Transport Mini-ster Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy’s announcement that the transport needs and interests of disabled persons would be included in the public transport master plan, and Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop’s assurance that new buses in Penang would be ‘disabled-friendly’.

Beat, a coalition of 16 NGOs for disabled persons, urged Rapid-Penang, Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad to consider “every Penan-gite’s right to accessible public transport, irrespective of the person’s condition”.

“Non-step buses are already widely used in other countries such as Japan and Australia. They are convenient for senior citizens, pregnant women and adults with prams,” Beat assistant coordinator Peter Tan elaborated.

He said that he had no problem moving around Japan on public transportation when he was there, despite being wheelchair-bound.

“Costs should not be a justifica-tion for not bringing in accessible buses. It will still cost the state government to do so in future. Wheelchair users who are denied their accessibility to buses may not be able to go to work or participate in various activities.

“They’ll be further marginalised from mainstream society,” Tan added.

Malaysian public transport to be more disabled-friendly: report

The Associated Press
Published: March 12, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia will increase accessibility and facilities for the disabled in its public transport system under an upcoming “master plan” for capital cities in the country’s 13 states, a news report said Tuesday.

Consultants hired by the government to run a nine-month study of the country’s public transport systems have been told to include requirements for disabled people in their report to the Cabinet, which will form the basis for the master plan, the New Straits Times reported.

“We want well planned and coordinated transport systems to meet the needs of disabled people,” Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy was quoted as saying.

The master plan for a better system was expected to be sent to the state capitals by the end of 2007, the report added.

At present, facilities vary for people in wheelchairs, the blind, or others with disabilities in Malaysia’s public transport systems. Light rail trains provide access for the disabled, but buses and bus stops make no provisions for those in wheelchairs.
Today in Asia - Pacific

Chan’s aide was not immediately reachable on his mobile phone for further details. It was not clear from the report when the upgraded public transport systems would be implemented.