LAST Thursday was most extraordinary.
A day that I thought that would be nothing more than slightly hectic unexpectedly turned out to be one of mixed adventures and sadness at the end.
First was the good news.
At the Petaling Jaya full board monthly meeting that morning, I was delighted when I, as a PJ city councillor, was asked by our mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman to head a special committee to make Section 52 – one of the areas under my care – as a model clean town before the rest of the city follows suit.
“Clean, green and a prototype disabled-friendly zone,” he clarified to me further after the meeting.
What a wonderful challenge, I thought, particularly the last one to have PJ as an exemplary city for disabled-friendly features.
I went into work immediately by calling up all the heads of departments from the planning to landscape, engineering, health and others for their support. I was elated when they all voiced a thumping “yes”.
That inaugural task force of the integrated departments met yesterday morning where we covered a number of major issues relating to our goals.
On the disabled and elderly issue we decided that we need to focus on the uneven pavements, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, entrances to buildings, accessible toilets and car parks for the disabled as well as caregivers of the handicapped.
Apart from just our discussions alone, I was very touched how I was treated by everyone as I chaired the meeting.
Nobody there for instance thought less of my abilities as a chairman. And the fact that I was seated in a wheelchair was not an issue at all for anyone.
As a councillor for almost a year now in the PJ City Council (MBPJ), I am pleased to say that everyone, from the heads of department right down to the ordinary staff treat me with utmost respect.
That is not to say that they ignore me in any way as a person with special needs.
I am always sure to get help summoning the lift, my food during mealtimes and assistance to key in the security code to unlock the office doors and others – sometimes even though my able-bodied personal assistant is with me.
Last Thursday I had the same treatment from the general public when I went out on an operation mission with the health enforcement staff of MBPJ in my zone.
Most of the operators smiled as they rushed to clear their pathways to make way for my wheelchair to enter their restaurants.
I could see the obvious surprised look on their faces to have a councillor in a wheelchair pay them a visit.
Our team decided to clean and brighten up some of the poor looking eateries with MBPJ’s funds, fined a few who broke the law on cleanliness and offered helpful advice on how to make their outfits friendly to customers with disabilities.
It was shortly after our trip when I heard about that afternoon’s disastrous collapse of part of Jaya Supermarket that killed more than half a dozen construction workers.
I rushed to the scene in the MBPJ OKU transit. It was because of the van that I was able to get there at all through the blocked roads and heavy traffic.
Getting there, however, revealed how selfish some drivers could be. Some just wanted to get where they were going at any cost by refusing to allow the emergency vehicles with their flashlights and sirens on to get to the scene.
I got there approximately an hour after the tragedy happened. It was a horrible sight. I tried to get to where my able-bodied councillors were but I was stopped by a plainclothes inspector of police who told me that it would be too dangerous for me in my wheelchair to get there should the building collapse further.
He was right. Part of another section came hurtling down five minutes later. However, I was fortunately safe and away from danger by that time with the rest of the public behind the yellow tape that the rescue workers had put up for us.
It was here where I got to see our dedicated workers in action. They appeared to be from all our uniformed services and forces. They were well coordinated (fully prepared for an eventuality like this) and were always on their toes.
Suddenly what was a business shopping centre was transformed into a war zone.
And finally, although I was not able to see another special team in action when I was there, I read about them in the newspapers the next day.
I am referring to our dedicated canine sniffer team that were called in to search for the victims of the disaster.
These dedicated unsung heroes including dogs that assist the disabled and the elderly often go unnoticed by our society for their indispensible role in helping and saving humankind when help is needed most.
The End
PET+BLOGSPOT is the online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) You may also visit our homepage which is www.petpositive.com.my
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