JKM – Page 3 – Peter Tan – The Digital Awakening

My New Kad OKU (Card for Person with Disabilities)

My first Kad Kenal Diri Orang Kurang Upaya (Identity Card for Person with Disabilities) was issued in 1995. It is a laminated piece of paper card with my photograph, personal particulars and signature. The card measures 4.25″ x 3.5″. It is big and could not fit into my wallet. The most memorable part of this card is that it was presented to me by the then Governor of Penang Tun Hamdan Sheikh Tahir in an official ceremony at the Dewan Sri Pinang in 1995.

New and old Card for Person with Disabilities (Kad OKU)

The card has seen better days. The corners of the laminate have started to peel apart due to wear and tear and from being improperly kept due to its size. I had wanted to have it replaced with a newer laminated card that is smaller but have never gotten to doing it. When Wuan was on leave in June, we decided to take a long drive down to the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) in Kajang to apply for the latest version of the card and change my address from Penang to Pandan Perdana.

It was an easy process. I had to fill up a form, submit it with a photocopy of my identity card, had my photograph taken and then told to wait for the letter informing me to collect the card. Some time in August, the letter finally came. We went on another long drive to collect it from Kajang. It is now called Kad OKU or Kad Orang Kurang Upaya (Card for Person with Disabilities). This plastic card certainly appears more durable as compared to the previous laminated ones. The size of this new card is similar to the identity card and driving license and fits easily into my wallet.

Disability Equality Training (DET) At SOCSO

SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah, JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely

SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah giving a speech at the opening of the Disability Equality Training workshop. Seated L-R: JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely.
Photo by Wuan.

The Department of Return to Work of the Social Security Organisation Malaysia (SOCSO) organised a Disability Equality Training (DET) workshop for employers in the private sectors and staff of SOCSO last Thursday. Private sector participants were from Malaysia Airlines, British American Tobacco, Sunway Hotel, KFC, Pizza Hut, Ayamas, Sports Toto and Cathay Cineplexes, among others. The theme of the workshop was “Towards Inclusion and Diversity”. It was conducted at Menara PERKESO in Jalan Ampang and officiated by SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah.

JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating the Disability Equality Training at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

During the half-day DET workshop, Dr. Kenji Kuno guided participants through the various aspects of understanding disability as a social issue and how problems arising from attitudinal and environmental barriers can be resolved by applying the Open Box Solution method. These exercises are in view of making workplaces accessible and inclusive. I acted as the co-facilitator again this time.

SOCSO Claims Manager Edmund Cheong explaining the Return To Work Program.
Photo by Wuan.

At the afternoon session, SOCSO Claims Manager Edmond Cheong provided a very detailed presentation on the benefits of the Return To Work Program. This program provides support for workers disabled in the course of employment going back to work after treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr. Kenji Kuno giving presentation on Job Coach at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

That was followed by Dr. Kuno’s talk on Job Coach. This is an initiative by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia (JKM) to enable and empower disabled people through gainful employment. Among the many services of Job Coaching are job matching for employers and disabled people, and training and support during employment. Currently, JKM is absorbing the cost of Job Coaching service for employers seeking to hire disabled people.

Group photo with participants at SOCSO Disability Equality Training Workshop – Return To Work Program – Job Coach Seminar.
Photo by Wuan.

Group photo with staff of SOCSO.
Seated L-R: Peter Tan, Roshaimi Mat Rosely, Dr. Kenji Kuno, Gayathri Vadivel and Edmund Cheong.
Photo by Wuan.

Human Rights Day 2010: “Against All Odds”: The Malaysian Bar – December 9, 2010

Press Release: Human Rights Day 2010: “Against All Odds”
Thursday, 09 December 2010 10:40am

On 10 December this year, the Bar Council Human Rights Committee once again joins the rest of the world in celebrating Human Rights Day.

Our focus this year is on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Malaysia recently ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”). While the Malaysian Bar welcomes this move, there are still grave concerns on the Government’s reservations to Article 3 on general principles, Article 5 on equality and non-discrimination, Article 15 on freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Article 18 on liberty of movement and nationality, and Article 30 on participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.

Malaysia has also not signed or ratified the Optional Protocols of CRPD, which grant specific rights to the citizens/residents of a country to refer their government to the international supervisory committee for non-compliance with any of the articles.

Locally, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 has yet to be amended to provide for any form of punishment or remedy for breaches.

These are fundamental issues that need to be addressed, to give full force and effect to the CRPD, without which the rights of persons with disabilities in this country are not even close to being fully acknowledged, what more protected.

Aimed at raising public awareness on rights of persons with disabilities, “Against All Odds” will feature a Public Forum on Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 that will take place on 12 December 2010 (Sunday) from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Bar Council Auditorium, No 15, Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.

Invited panellists, and the topics of discussion, are:

(a) Professor Dr Tiun Ling Ta, President, Persatuan Orang Cacat Anggota Malaysia: “Opportunities in education – early, primary, secondary and tertiary”;
(b) Zakaria b Yahaya, Teacher, Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Setapak, Kuala Lumpur: “Observation and expectation from the vocational and recreational perspectives”;
(c) Helen Chin, advocate and solicitor: “Malaysia’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and human rights for the disabled community in Malaysia”;
(d) A representative from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) (TBC): “Commitments by the government ministries and agencies”; and
(e) A representative from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (TBC): “Enjoying life from human rights perspectives”.

The forum will be conducted in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.

After a successful inaugural event in 2008, the Bar Council Human Rights Debate is now being featured again in conjunction with the Human Rights Day celebrations. It is a three-day event that will be held from 10-12 December 2010 (Friday to Sunday) at KDU University College, Section 13 Campus, No 76, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Aimed at promoting free speech and creating greater awareness and education of human rights standards, while at the same time advocating important principles of international rights law, the theme for this year’s Human Rights Debate is “Against All Odds – Making a Difference for Human Rights”.

Out of RM30,000.00 prize money allocated from registration fees and corporate sponsorships, RM25,000.00 will be donated equally to five institutions caring or advocating for persons with disabilities from all over the country, to be selected by the Bar Council Human Rights Committee. The remaining RM5,000.00 will be awarded as prize money to the champion of the tournament.

Teams from 18 institutions, including some from India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Singapore, as well as local universities such as Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia, have registered for the tournament.

This is a unique debating tournament, the first in the world to be hosted by a statutory body of legal professionals.

Admission to both the public forum and the human rights debate tournament is free, and open to the public. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required in order to attend the public forum. To register, please contact Adi Irman by telephone at 03-2031 3003 ext 105 or by email at adi@malaysianbar.org.my.

Ragunath Kesavan
President
Malaysian Bar

9 Dec 2010