Water Supply Restored in Pandan Perdana
The water pressure has gone back to normal today. Water supply was restored two days ago actually but the pressure was low. It was better yesterday. I emptied my bowel today because of that. Nothing cleans as well as water. I am a happy camper. I have never gotten used to cleaning with toilet paper. Somehow it just never felt clean even after I have exhausted one whole roll.
The cloudy urine has cleared somewhat. But I am still tired. I think I may have drank a little too rapidly. My urine is too clear to be urine. Turned on the air condition in the room and tried to sleep at around 2.30pm but could not. Called Jocelyn to confirm with her that Wuan and I will be attending her wedding. Congrats auntie! Looking forward to seeing you all decked up. Called up a few friends from Penang to chat after that.
I am still tired now. Dang. I believe the weather has a part in this lethargy. I am looking forward to the weekend. Wuan and I have planned a trip up to Ipoh. We are going to hit two birds with one stone. One of them is to get Patches neutered. He turned 6 months old on May 1. The thought of Ipoh food is making me salivate. No, ngah choi kai (bean sprout chicken noodles) is not one of them. The rest… yum yum.
Tags: Ipoh, Pandan Perdana, Patches, water disruption
Syabas Bodoh
The water pressure has been low since Monday evening. I have been bathing in cold water from the water tank for the past 2 days. When I turned on the tap to wash the rice just now, nothing flowed out. Not even a drop. I had to wash the rice in the bathroom and cooked with water from the tank.
There is no announcement in the Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Berhad (SYABAS) website. I called the toll-free number (1 800 88 5252) several times and waited in futility for more than 20 minutes to speak to a customer service executive each time, only to be informed repeatedly by the automated voice answering system that all the executives are busy.
I can accept if water supply is disrupted by a burst pipe or upgrading works provided it is announced in the website or through recorded message when customers call the toll-free line. I can accept if water supply is cut if prior notice is given for me to store water for essential usage.
As I was typing this, I finally got through to the customer service executive who gave me a very generic reply that the water level in the reservoir is low, that she does not know when normal water supply will be resumed and that a water tanker will be sent to this area today. When I asked when and where the water tanker will be deployed, she said she does not know.
I need clean water to wash my catheter after emptying my bladder. This I need to do at least 5 times a day. I run the risk of urinary tract infections or further damage to my kidneys if I skip this routine due to the inability to clean the catheter. I can live without electricity but I certainly cannot survive one day without water. I need a contingency plan just in case this crisis drags on for a few more days.
Tags: Pandan Perdana, water disruption
Meeting With YB Jenice Lee
Jenice Lee with Tan Weng Aun, Wang Siew Ming and Peter Tan.
Photo by Wuan.
Right after the 12th General Election, I thought it would be a good idea to present a memorandum to the incoming state governments on issues of accessibility for disabled people. Although there is a law to compel developers to include such features in their projects, this is seldom enforced. The Uniform Building By-Law 34-A (UBBL 34A) under the Street Drainage and Building Act specifically states that:
(3) Buildings to which this by-law applies and which on .the date of commencement of this by-law have been erected, are being erected or have not been erected but plans have been submitted and approved shall be modified or altered to comply with this by-laws within 3 years from the date of commencement of this by-law.
Fifteen years later now, old buildings have not complied with this requirement while many new buildings do not meet the minimum standards of accessibility. The onus of enforcements falls squarely on the majlis perbandaran (municipal councils) and they have done nothing with regards to this matter.
While the UBBL 34A is a move in the right direction, it is made impotent by indifferent officers within the many majlis perbandaran who are either ignorant of the existence of the law or are not technically savvy enough to understand the accessibility standards. Whatever the reasons, disabled people are left high and dry.
Hence, I wrote the memorandum with the hope that it would move the state governments to compel all municipal councils to enforce the UBBL 34A. Naziaty Yaacob of Inclusive Design for Malaysia provided valuable feedback that completed the document. My friends in Penang submitted the same document with some amendments to reflect the situation there to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng a couple of weeks ago.
Here in the Klang Valley, I secured an appointment to meet with the ADUN of Teratai YB Jenice Lee last Saturday morning together with fellow accessibility advocate Wang Siew Ming and Tan Weng Aun. We presented Jenice with the memorandum to forward it to the Selangor Menteri Besar. We spent nearly two hours discussing about the accessibility issues faced by disabled people and the badly done ramps along the walkways at Pandan Perdana and went through the various points in the memorandum.
At the same time, Wang presented Jenice with the Malaysian Standard MS 1184: Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings and the Malaysian Standard 1331: Code of Practice for Access for Disabled People Outside Buildings. He presented the same books to the previous ADUN before the construction of the ramps but not one of the ten ramps complied with the standards and are not safe to use.
The day before concrete was poured, we specifically guided the contractor on how it should be done. He was annoyed with us for fussing over it. We were very disappointed when we went to check on the ramps after it was completed. He did not follow any of the specifications. That rendered the ramp useless. It was truly a waste of public funds.
We truly hope Selangor will live up to its developed state status and take the lead to become the first state to be generally accessible to disabled people. We have gotten a raw deal for so long and we hope that all the new state governments will seriously look into the problems faced by disabled people and resolve it for once and for all. We would also like to thank Jenice for spending the morning listening to us, making an effort to understand what we are facing and for promising to look into it.
Related entry:
Memorandum to the Government Of Selangor Darul Ehsan on Facilities for Disabled People
Tags: DUN Teratai, Jenice Lee, Pandan Perdana
First Step Towards An Accessible Pandan Perdana
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.
Tags: DUN Teratai, Pandan Perdana, Yap Soo Sun
Peter Tan Objects To Sending The 2nd Malaysian Astronaut Into Space
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
Tags: angkasawan Malaysia, DUN Teratai, MPAJ, Pandan Perdana, Yap Soo Sun
