Disabled Mad About Exclusion From Kota Damansara Park

Friday December 24, 2010

Kota Damansara residents to form task force

By JASTIN AHMAD TARMIZI
jastin@thestar.com.my

(Pictures by Independent Living and Training Centre)

 
EIGHTY residents’ associations from the Kota Damansara constituency will be forming a task force to resolve specific problems in the area.

The task force will be a platform for the residents, Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to work together to solve problems in the area including those related to traffic, infrastructure, cleanliness, environment and safety.

“This task force will be tackling issues one at a time. However the main issue that we have identified now is safety. We can discuss what our priorities are and receive comments from the people on issues that need to be solved,” said Nasir at a press conference after the “Towards a Harmonious and Safer Community” held with Kota Damansara residents.

“Everyone has agreed to form this task force. All the residents’ associations will be sending a representative. With all the 80 residents’ associations we can work together to solve the problems in the area. With them, I think we have a very good team.”

“This will be a joint effort with the people so that they can be involved. It would not only be a dialogue session where residents complain but it will be a joint effort to get things done.

“Details of the task force will be finalised in our next meeting with the residents scheduled next month,” said Dr Nasir.

Anthony Thanasayan, a member of Malaysians Against Discrimination of the Disabled (MADD) and an MBPJ councillor, said they wanted more representation from the disabled community in the task force to make the town more disabled-friendly.

Meanwhile, the withdrawal of funds from a proposal to make a walkway for the disabled in Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve has drawn protests.

Anthony said they were being discriminated against as they were not consulted about the removal of the proposed walkway.

“They are not creating a park for everyone but only for some people. We the disabled are also people,” he said.

Independent Living & Training Centre president Francis Siva said that he was sad and disappointed that the walkway was not going to be built.

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