Wheelchair-bound Anthony Thanasayan has been at the forefront of advocating the rights of the disabled for the past decade and local authorities have regularly been the brunt of his criticism.
So it was no surprise when he describes his recent appointment as one of Petaling Jaya’s 24 city councillor as “a calling”.
“This is a chance given to me to make a difference, so to me it is a calling from God to take up the position,” said Anthony, who heads the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association.And even before he was officially made a councillor, Anthony had already came across a MBPJ officer who would use some lessons in sensitivity when dealing with the disabled.
Yesterday, he had a discomforting call from the officer who wanted Anthony to fill up certain paperwork pertaining to his appointment as a councillor.
“The office called me and asked me to come over to the MBPJ office immediately to pick up the forms and to submit a photo but how can they expect me to show up whenever they like knowing my condition,” lamented Anthony.
“When they thought of hiring a disabled person they must have been prepared to make changes necessary to accommodate to the needs of the disabled persons,” he reiterated.
Geared for change
The episode with the MBPJ officer reminded Anthony that he has an uphill task ahead of him, but the plucky activist believes that he is ready to face any challenges to champion the rights of the disabled in the council.
“I’m happy I was given the opportunity, as this is a chance for a disabled person to speak for the disabled rather than having an able-bodied person to voice our concerns,” he said.“We (the disabled) believe that we must be a part of any decisions made for us. There is an international saying among us disabled – ‘nothing about us without us’. Therefore, I’m happy I’ll be a part of the decision-making process,” he added.
Anthony said his first agenda was to propose for specials queues and parking lots for the disabled and elderly as these amenities are not available at all avenues in Petaling Jaya.
“The previous government promised us many things but nothing really materialised. I feel like I’m under house arrest because I’m not able to go to the neighbourhood grocery shop because it is not disabled friendly,” he said.
“All this has to change and I’ll speak up for it until it does. And I won’t hesitate to quit, if I don’t see anything materialising,” he stressed.
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