Court Action Against Disabled-Friendly Violaters On The Way

PETPOSITIVE THERAPY CENTRE, PETALING JAYA:

MALAYSIANS WITH DISABILITIES will finally be able to seek the help of the courts when their rights are violated. 

Efforts to make this happen is being initiated by three key persons from the disability and legal fields.

The persons were two local councillors from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Jeyaseelen Anthony and Anthony Thanasayan together with disabled activist Francis Siva.

They met in Kuala Lumpur last week to study the 2008 Persons with Disabilities Act in Malaysia in order to see how the important piece of legislature can have bite in it. 

Jeyaseelen about on his MBPJ duties

"There is a urgent need for the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to be protected," said Jeyaseelen (left in red) to PET+BLOGSPOT.

"The PWD Act provides for the protection of disabled person's rights but sadly, it's enforcement by the authorities is far from satisfactory," he added. 

Jeyaseelen who is also a consultant at the Faculty of Law in University Malaya in in the capital went on to point out that schools, public buildings, parks and others, are still not disabled friendly despite the existence of the Act. 

"The National Council for PWDs - despite being formed three years ago - has yet to come forward with proposals and recommendations over these issues - something which they are mandated to do under the Act.

"We need action; not just talk on the part of the authorities. 

"The Act needs to be given life," Jeyaseelen stressed. 

Court is best says Francis

Francis (right) who serves as president of the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor, lamented that he is fed up of the prevalent mentality among the public and in the government that disabled people are a charity case. 

"It is high time that the public sees us as equal citizens with the able-bodied," he said, adding that "starting court action is one of the most powerful and effective way to demonstrate this." 

Francis made his remarks immediately after the group held their meeting in Mid Valley Megamall last Monday. 

Ready to support

Anthony Thanasayan who is also President of PETPOSITIVE says that his NGO is more than happy to lend their support to a worthy cause such as this. 

Thanasayan said the group is planning to check out several new school buildings as its first project to see if it is accessible to wheelchair users. 

If the facilities are found to be lacking, the team will promptly write to the Ministry of Education and demand an explanation before taking the matter to court.

Watch this space for more on this exciting development. 


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