CAPAM AWARD:MBPJ is among top three finalists under the Innovations in Citizen Engagement and Dialogue category
Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman helping to wheel a disabled resident in barrier-free Petaling Jaya. Pic by Nurul Shafina Jemenon
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THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has been shortlisted as one of the top three finalists for the Commonwealth Association For Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) award under the category for Innovations in Citizen Engagement and Dialogue.
Petaling Jaya mayor, Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, is delighted over this and hopes to emerge victorious.
The CAPAM International Innovations awards celebrates the spirit of innovation in the public service by recognising organisations that have made significant contributions to improve governance and services in the public sector.
Recipients of the award are from Commonwealth countries and judges are experts from around the world.
The council was shortlisted for its efforts in creating a barrier-free city under its "Barrier-free Petaling Jaya: Lifting the urban disability stigma" project.
Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali, the Planning Development Department director, said the council has a unique approach in catering to the needs of the disabled.
"Other councils may be providing similar amenities. However, MBPJ allows the disabled to tell us how things should be done," said Sharipah.
"We have engaged the disabled in our audits and surveys whenever new facilities are planned for. We are serious in getting it right the first time and not building something only to break it later because it is dysfunctional."
Sharipah said MBPJ officers would also go to the ground in order to understand how the disabled use certain facilities.
"There is the continuous drive to help improve the lives of disabled residents," said Sharipah.
"We can't just have a one-off event and hope everything changes. There must be continuous efforts and the council staff must also be well-trained."
The most significant move by the council was to appoint disabled rights activist, T. Anthony Siva Balan, as a city councillor. Anthony leads the Technical Advisory Committee for Disabled Accessibility.
Anthony said he was among the activists who used to "fight" from outside the council building.
"Today, the council has recognised the importance of working with the community. If the council doesn't provide what's necessary, we will become a burden to the society. Those who are disabled don't want that," he said.
The council hopes to win the award by focusing on four innovation strategies currently practised, to achieve the goal of a barrier free city.
These are the formation of a technical advisory committee to develop disabled facilities in the city, modification of existing infrastructure or buildings, raising public awareness on the needs of the disabled, and organising more technical training and implementing specific area-based projects for the disabled.
The results will be announced at the 2012 CAPAM Biennial Conference in Delhi, India, in October.
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