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Showing posts with label Obituary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obituary. Show all posts
Sunday, June 05, 2016
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Claudia Theophilus Story On Discrimination On The Disabled
PETPOSITIVE regrets the passing away of journalist Claudia Theophilus recently. Here is a story she wrote in Malaysiakini about discrimination that the disabled face in our society that many do not want to admit.
RIP Claudia
Disabled people decry discrimination, insensitivity
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Speaking out at a one-day human rights training programme in Kuala Lumpur, the 30-odd participants poured out their daily frustrations and growing-up pains in a society insensitive to the needs of special people.
"We've had to put up with a lot of discrimination and humiliation in our life, and still are. For example, we often have to fight with security guards to park near to an entrance at shopping malls or hospitals," said Anthony Thanasayan, who was born with a deformed spine and is confined to a wheelchair.
"This is a perennial problem for us because the special lot allotted for the disabled is usually located the furthest from the entrance or it would have been occupied by another car, usually a BMW or Mercedes, belonging to an able-bodied bigshot.
"In developed countries, parking lots for the disabled are right next to the entrance," said the 42-year-old who also has a column on the physically disabled in English daily The Star.
The training was jointly organised by Rawang-based Independent Living and Training Centre and Era Consumer Malaysia in conjunction with the International Day of Disabled Persons themed
'Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihood'.
Era, which has undertaken the role of facilitator for the disabled community, will submit a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) based on today's outcome.
One major discrimination faced by disabled persons was in the job sector where most said they were dropped after the interviews due to their physical appearance although they had basic skills or computer knowledge.
Non-compliance
Anthony said very few buildings in Malaysia complied with the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 as the disabled community still faced problems gaining access to the post office, banks, government departments and other public places.
The by-law, which comes under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, makes it mandatory for all new buildings to have facilities and amenities as prescribed by the Malaysian standard code of practice for access for disabled people.
Apart from representatives of organisations for the disabled, some of the participants were students of ELC International School in Sungai Buloh who attended the programme as part of their community service project. The school also accommodates children with disabilities.
Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva said that during his conference visits to other countries, he observed a high quality of life for the disabled persons there.
"The public transportation for the disabled was excellent. The disabled community there were treated as equals, unlike here."
A participant known as Christopher, who ferries wheelchair-bound persons to a hospital in Petaling Jaya, became upset when recounting the "hell" he had to endure at the hands of the hospital's security guards over parking.
"I am given hell by the security guards every time I take any disabled person to hospital. When I try to park near the hospital entrance, I am rudely reprimanded and told to park at the very end of the hospital compound which is quite a distance.
"But the BMWs get away with having a shady spot nearest to the entrance... such is the double standard we have to face daily."
Insensitive attitude
Another participant, Frank Lee, also confined to a wheelchair, said he was forced to buy a car because taxis had refused to take him at all.
On common facilities, the participants said that where disabled-friendly toilets are provided by hotels or large establishments, most often they were used as storerooms for cleaning equipment, causing much inconvenience to disabled users.
Some also claimed that they were barred from going to ordinary schools due to their physical disabilities and were instead told to attend special schools.
Recounting
his schooldays, a participant who managed to complete his secondary
education in a 'normal' school, said he had to drink less water while at
school because he was not allowed to go to the school toilet.
Earlier, Suhakam commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan, in his opening remarks, urged the disabled community to speak up more and be heard demanding for their rights.
"It is not so much neglect of the disabled community but ignorance of practical issues that is the root cause of the society's insensitivity. Many don't even know that there are disabled persons among us."
He also urged the media, particularly the government-owned RTM, to provide airtime to highlight the concerns of the disabled community so that other Malaysians would also be sensitised to their special needs.
An estimated 250,000 persons with various disabilities are currently registered with the Social
Welfare Department, but the United Nations figure is that one in every 10 persons is disabled.
Claudia - journalist with a big heart
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Her death and the way she died was tragic. My heartfelt condolences to her family. I know Claudia has been a great daughter in keeping the family intact after her brother's accident.
I know that her passing is very hard for her family to accept. I wish them strength during these hard times as they await her to arrive home for the last time.
Claudia
was a great journalist and passionate one. When she writes a story, she
puts lots of energy and heart in it, something which I see is missing
in most journalists today.In earlier days, The Sun used to have a special team under Steven Gan, which wrote on many issues of public interest. Claudia was part of this team.
For me, those were the best feature articles published by The Sun. Some members of this team later found their way to Malaysiakini which, also in its early days, highlighted lots of grassroots public interest cases. Claudia fitted very well in this.
I have worked with Claudia on many issues, such as on eviction of plantation workers, urban settlers and as well as the since-aborted mega-incinerator in Broga, Selangor.
Claudia had an interest in the poor, the victims and the downtrodden. She always took the extra step in asking “How can we help these people?”
I remember during the eviction of plantation workers from Bukit Jelutong in Selangor. The workers’ houses were demolished four times and they were losing every court case that came their way.
I told Claudia then that we needed someone to talk to Musa Hitam (right), then chairperson of Guthrie Bhd, just to get us to the negotiation table. Claudia then managed to get a quote from Musa during the Umno general assembly and that story in Malaysiakini paved the way for negotiations with Guthrie and eventually settlement for the workers.
Besides being a passionate journalist, Claudia was also a unionist with the National Union of Journalists. She organised pickets when there was a fallout with the management of The Sun over trade and professional issues in late 2001.
I remembered her fighting hard for her fellow journalists, as well as on her own behalf when she was summarily dismissed for her part in the union activities and took The Sun to court. She used to complain that people are not brave enough to take on their bosses.
Whenever Claudia was involved in any struggle or when she starts writing, she puts in lots of effort. She was very pro-active and worked hard with activists like me to ensure that people get some form of justice.
Most of Claudia’s stories had an element of human interest and feeling in it. They were not dry stuff. Claudia used to get very upset whenever her stories were spiked by her editors.
She used to get very affected by this, and complained whenever her stories did not appear as she wished. But like most good journalists, she found a space and moved on.
Benchmark for journalists
The last I spoke to Claudia was during Christmas. Whenver she returned home from Doha, Qatar, where she was based with Al-Jazeera, she would call to say hello.
She would say it was difficult to meet up because of the situation of her family, but kept saying “we should meet up one of these days”. She wanted to be updated on the many cases of plantation workers and urban settlers with which she she had been involved.
In
her last conversation, she asked about Broga, especially about Alice
Lee - who coordinated the anti-incinerator campaign - and about her
well-being. Claudia told me that Alice (left) is a good activist and that we must continue to support her as she has lots of potential. That is Claudia, always concerned with the issues and the people she has written about.
I hope The Sun and Malaysiakini will reproduce some of the public interest stories she has written. These stories are worth a second read.
We shall miss her and her writings. Claudia has indeed set a high benchmark for other journalists to follow.
S ARUTCHELVAN is secretary-general of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
TOMORROW: SIGNIFICANT DROP IN ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATHS
PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 150,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Reve Moine - A Mother Theresa To The Animals - the sun report
Belgian woman's death a blow to animal lovers
KUALA LUMPUR (July 6, 2010) : The grisly death of a Belgian woman whose charred body was found near a reservoir at Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang has left her friends puzzled.
Reve Moine, 56, who was described by her friends as a staunch lover, defender and loyal friend of animals was an active member of the Selangor Sociey for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) based in Ampang.
Her charred body with over 90% burns was found in a ravine by workers at the reservoir on Friday evening. Her four-wheel drive vehicle was parked not far from the scene.
Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Abdul Jalil Hassan said preliminary findings showed no foul play involved in her death.
He said a bottle of kerosene and a lighter were recovered by forensic police from the scene, and the victim's jewellery and valuables were found intact on her.
"We are awaiting the full post mortem report to acertain if there was any foul play in her death, but for now, the case is classified as sudden death." he said adding that Reve's remains have been released to her family.
He said police have learnt from those they had interviewed that Reve had appeared to be depressed lately, and was to leave for Belgium next week to visit her ailing father.
The housewife who is a permanent resident here, lived with her Belgian husband, a general manager at a private company and their son. The couple also have two daughters living in Australia.
None of her friends who spoke to theSun had a clue about the way she died except that a few believe she may have gone to the site to rescue stray dogs.
Close friend and fellow SPCA volunteer Marianne Alvisse, 35 said Reve who was a housewife had dedicated her time almost everyday caring and rescuing cats and dogs, during the past 13 years she had known her.
Choking with emotion she told theSun about how Reve was distraught when she read that an animal testing lab was to be set up in Malacca.
"She would be distraught when there are cases of animal abuse and exploitations. We were best friends. She gave her care and love unconditionally not just to animals come rain or shine, but to all those who knew her. She is irreplaceable and I miss her dearly." she said.
Anthony Thanasayan, President of Petpositive, an organisation that provides animal therapy for the disabled and elderly said Reve was a one of a kind who can be considered a patron saint of animals.
"Her love for animals is beyond words can say. She cared for the uncared and was the 'Mother Theresa' for animals. She fought for their rights tirelessly and would turn into a terror if she spotted anyone abusing animals" he said.
"It is hard to accept the nature of her death which is a big shock to all of us who knew her. " he said, adding that Reve also found homes for abandoned dogs and cats through adoptions.
Selangor SPCA President Christine Chin said in Reve's memory, the orgainisation plans to build a memorial stone at a section of the centre.
"For someone who has given so much to animals, we plan to dedicate a corner, perhaps calling it Reve's Corner in memory of her." she added.
Updated: 07:33PM Tue, 06 Jul 2010
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive). Our contents are ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is 45,000 hits and counting. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
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Reve Moine, 56, who was described by her friends as a staunch lover, defender and loyal friend of animals was an active member of the Selangor Sociey for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) based in Ampang.
Her charred body with over 90% burns was found in a ravine by workers at the reservoir on Friday evening. Her four-wheel drive vehicle was parked not far from the scene.
Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Abdul Jalil Hassan said preliminary findings showed no foul play involved in her death.
He said a bottle of kerosene and a lighter were recovered by forensic police from the scene, and the victim's jewellery and valuables were found intact on her.
"We are awaiting the full post mortem report to acertain if there was any foul play in her death, but for now, the case is classified as sudden death." he said adding that Reve's remains have been released to her family.
He said police have learnt from those they had interviewed that Reve had appeared to be depressed lately, and was to leave for Belgium next week to visit her ailing father.
The housewife who is a permanent resident here, lived with her Belgian husband, a general manager at a private company and their son. The couple also have two daughters living in Australia.
None of her friends who spoke to theSun had a clue about the way she died except that a few believe she may have gone to the site to rescue stray dogs.
Close friend and fellow SPCA volunteer Marianne Alvisse, 35 said Reve who was a housewife had dedicated her time almost everyday caring and rescuing cats and dogs, during the past 13 years she had known her.
Choking with emotion she told theSun about how Reve was distraught when she read that an animal testing lab was to be set up in Malacca.
"She would be distraught when there are cases of animal abuse and exploitations. We were best friends. She gave her care and love unconditionally not just to animals come rain or shine, but to all those who knew her. She is irreplaceable and I miss her dearly." she said.
Anthony Thanasayan, President of Petpositive, an organisation that provides animal therapy for the disabled and elderly said Reve was a one of a kind who can be considered a patron saint of animals.
"Her love for animals is beyond words can say. She cared for the uncared and was the 'Mother Theresa' for animals. She fought for their rights tirelessly and would turn into a terror if she spotted anyone abusing animals" he said.
"It is hard to accept the nature of her death which is a big shock to all of us who knew her. " he said, adding that Reve also found homes for abandoned dogs and cats through adoptions.
Selangor SPCA President Christine Chin said in Reve's memory, the orgainisation plans to build a memorial stone at a section of the centre.
"For someone who has given so much to animals, we plan to dedicate a corner, perhaps calling it Reve's Corner in memory of her." she added.
Updated: 07:33PM Tue, 06 Jul 2010
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive). Our contents are ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is 45,000 hits and counting. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Latest on Reve Moine - a true friend of unwanted and unloved animals.
Further updates 5.15pm, Sunday, July 4th, 2010:
A funeral service is being planned for Wednesday or Thursday. For the latest details, please visit HERE
PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!
A funeral service is being planned for Wednesday or Thursday. For the latest details, please visit HERE
PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!
We just heard the sad news that longtime SPCA Selangor volunteer Reve Moine has died.
In addition of being a terrific animal activist Reve was also a great supporter of Petpositive.
"We would regularly have chats at midnight about homeless animals and about animal cruelty," said a shocked Anthony SB Thanasayan, President of Petpositive to PET+BLOGSPOT.
"She was such an inspiring personality especially when it came to her love for animals," he added. "Her love for them had no bounds and always unconditional."
"She was regarded to be to animals what the late Mother Teresa was to the poor," Thanasayan concluded.
Petpositive mourns the loss of this great friend and saviour of all unwanted and uncared for animals in Selangor.
So long dear activist. There is no mistake that you will be sorely missed, not only by the people you worked with but more importantly by the animals that you so selflessly cared for.
PET+BLOGSPOT
StarMetro: Saturday July 3, 2010
Charred remains of woman found
KUALA LUMPUR: The charred remains of a woman, believed to be a foreigner, was found in a drain near Taman Tun Abdul Razak here.A worker at a water reservoir nearby found the remains at 3.30pm yesterday after he noticed an abandoned four-wheel drive on the secluded road leading up to the reservoir.
Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Jalil Hassan said the incident was believed to have occurred some time after 9am yesterday.
“No documents were found on the deceased or in the vehicle. However, we believe the woman is a foreigner and the vehicle is registered under a Belgian man,” he said.
Police found a lighter and a plastic bottle which contained a few drops of kerosene.
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive). Our contents are ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is 40,000 hits and counting. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
Sunday, July 19, 2009
CAPTAIN YUSOF AHMAD: A MAN WHO CARED ABOUT HOW DISABLED MALAYSIANS WERE TREATED
PETPOSITIVE regrets to announce the passing away of The Ancient Mariner Captain Yusof Ahmad.According to his blog ( http://cyusof.blogspot.com/ ) the gentleman was a former pilot superintendent of the Klang Port Authority and pioneeer general manager of West Port. He was freelancing as a Port and Marine Consultant and Maritime Arbitrator when he died in his home last night during his sleep. I never personally met Capt Yusof but here is his blog on a Petpositive story he wrote about comments by Capt Karim Stuart Russell two years ago:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Walking the Talk
(Source: Petpositive)
Fellow mariner Capt. Abdul Karim Stuart Russell, a regular commenter in my blog, is a man who likes to walk the talk. Although retired, he is still active as adviser to the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and Secretary for the Support Group Society for the Blind of Malaysia or Supporteam.
In recent letters to Malaysiakini and the NST, Capt. Karim wrote: "The International Day of Disabled Persons on Dec 3 was yet another wonderful opportunity to promote understanding and increase public awareness of disability issues, and to promulgate the importance of integration and the well-being of people with disabilities." However, he expressed disappointment that little is still being done to help them access facilities, transport, etc.
"Half-hearted action, lip service, discrimination and marginalisation will not help disabled persons in Malaysia live an independent, integrated, dignified, equitable, productive, and happy lives during which they can raise a family and contribute to the well-being of their family and the nation. Effective, well-thought out and wide-ranging legislation and strict enforcement outlawing the discrimination of persons with disabilities will be a concrete step forward," he added. "Malaysia," Capt. Karim asserts,"needs a comprehensive Disability Discrimination Act."
Way to go, Stu.
Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 25,000 hits. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Petpositive.
You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
Monday, November 24, 2008
Petpositive mourns the death of Bishop Julius Paul
I was shocked to read about the death of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's Bishop Julius Paul (middle) in a tragic boat accident in Malaysiakini today.Bishop Paul was one of the few church leaders that kindly opened his church's doors to us to do some fundraising during our charity dinner last year. Whilst many others gave us loads of excuses about why "they can't help us because they would have to help others too", Bishop Paul said no such thing.
He allowed us to sell our charity dinner tickets throughout the whole Sunday. He even went as far as make a special collection for our cause on that day - although he himself could not be present during our visit.
I was at his ordination service when he became a Bishop where among others, he expressed his great love for football.
He also used to come up to me for a chat whenever we met at the park during his jogging sessions.
The last time I saw him was last year in Mid Valley during Deepavali.
aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT
Here is the Malaysiakini report:
A Malaysian bishop was drowned when a boat carrying 14 people capsized in Lake Atitlan, about 170km west of the Guatemalan capital.
Rev Bishop Julius D Paul, 63, who headed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia, was one of three passengers who died in the incident.
Paul leaves his wife, Biskopina Alice Santa Paul, 59, two sons - Surenthiran, 32, and Naveenthiren - and a daughter Lalitha, 29.
According to his deputy Rev Caleb Williams, Paul had been in Guatemala City for the past two weeks for the Lutheran World Federation Meeting. He was chairperson of the steering committee for the meeting.
At the end of the meeting on Saturday afternoon, he was on an arranged tour cruise of Lake Atitlan when the weather suddenly turned bad.There were high waves and water came into the boat before it capsised, according to information obtained by Williams.
Williams said Paul - who had joined the church about 30 years ago - had been bishop for 20 years and was due to retire in July 2010.
“As our bishop, he brought a lot of development and change in the spiritual and social ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia. He was much loved by all in the ministry and will be missed greatly,” he told Malaysiakini.
He said the church was informed that the return of Paul’s remains may be delayed for as long as 10 days, although this had initially been expected on Wednesday.
“It is still Sunday in Guatemala, and we haven’t gotten the details of the release just yet. We are waiting for further news,” Williams added.
Star reported that the boat had been carrying 15 people - all of whom were wearing life jackets - when it turned over.
“But when they pulled the three out, they were all dead. We received the news at 7am (yesterday) before our service but only got the confirmation at noon,” Williams was quoted as saying.
Police start probe
The other two victims were identified as French tourist Guillermo Fresseth and Guatemalan Valerio Jowittz Cotzal, the Public Ministry's assistant prosecutor Diego Sisay told local press.
Sisay said relief workers are still working to locate three others who are missing after the incident on Saturday afternoon.
AFP reported that the accident occurred three kilometres from the pier at Santiago Atitlan, a town popular with tourists, and near the Isle of Los Gatos in the Santiago Atitlan Bay. Lake Atitlan is one of Guatemala's top tourist destinations.
Survivors indicated that the boat was overloaded and capsized after strong winds hit the region, according to Sisay.
Roberto Vega, chief operating officer of the National Civil Police, said that the passengers were immediately assisted by other boats in the vicinity as well as local emergency personnel who rescued the survivors.
Boat operator Oscar Rene Sajbin is being questioned by authorities to determine responsibility and to clarify details of the tragedy, Vega added.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Malaysiakini: Toni Dies: Goodbye For Now To An Untiring Activist
QUICK COMMENT:
PETPOSITIVE mourns the loss of human rights activist Zaitun Kassim, 41, who died this morning at 5am to cancer.
I first met Toni - as she was known to all her friends - during the late nineties. I was attracted to her because of her activism for women's rights and had several discussions with her on how disabled women could also be empowered along with able-bodied women.
We had planned to run a special workshop specifically on women. However, it was never realised owing to a number of obstacles then.
I last met Toni at Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir's house two years ago. It was at Marina's Hari Raya party. I was surprised to discover some changes in Toni's life, especially in her marriage.
I was shocked to learn a couple of months ago about her illness. And although I tried to call her a number of times on her mobile, she never answered. I had hoped to catch her at a better time.
But this morning, I received an SMS message from another activist friend of mine, Pramila, that Toni had died this morning.
I will best remember Toni during the time I gave her a lift from Rawang to her home in KL some years ago. We had just finished a meeting at the Independent Living and Training Centre - a self-help NGO for the disabled - and were returning home.
I had my Rottweiler, Vai, in the back seat of my car. She had no problems with it. During the drive back, even Vai liked her so much that he rested his muzzle on her shoulder all the way back.
So long Toni till we meet again on the other side!
aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT
Here now is Malaysiakini's story on the great and untiring activist:
She died at 5am at her sister’s house at Taman Mesra, Batu Tiga, Shah Alam.
End
PETPOSITIVE mourns the loss of human rights activist Zaitun Kassim, 41, who died this morning at 5am to cancer.
I first met Toni - as she was known to all her friends - during the late nineties. I was attracted to her because of her activism for women's rights and had several discussions with her on how disabled women could also be empowered along with able-bodied women.
We had planned to run a special workshop specifically on women. However, it was never realised owing to a number of obstacles then.
I last met Toni at Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir's house two years ago. It was at Marina's Hari Raya party. I was surprised to discover some changes in Toni's life, especially in her marriage.
I was shocked to learn a couple of months ago about her illness. And although I tried to call her a number of times on her mobile, she never answered. I had hoped to catch her at a better time.
But this morning, I received an SMS message from another activist friend of mine, Pramila, that Toni had died this morning.
I will best remember Toni during the time I gave her a lift from Rawang to her home in KL some years ago. We had just finished a meeting at the Independent Living and Training Centre - a self-help NGO for the disabled - and were returning home.
I had my Rottweiler, Vai, in the back seat of my car. She had no problems with it. During the drive back, even Vai liked her so much that he rested his muzzle on her shoulder all the way back.
So long Toni till we meet again on the other side!
aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT
Here now is Malaysiakini's story on the great and untiring activist:
Well-known women’s activist Zaitun ‘Toni’ Kasim passed away this morning after suffering from a debilitating bout of duodenal cancer.
She died at 5am at her sister’s house at Taman Mesra, Batu Tiga, Shah Alam.
Zaitun, 41, had over the years advocated reform in laws that discriminated against women, and had held key positions in a number of women's organisations.
zaitun kasim zaitun kassim" title="zaitun kasim zaitun kassim" align="left" height="214" width="160">She contested in the 1999 general election as an independent candidate supported by the Women’s Candidacy Initiative (WCI) coalition.
In that election, Zaitun stood under the DAP banner for the Selayang parliamentary seat against Barisan Nasional’s Chan Kong Choy, then MCA Youth chief.
She bagged 26,144 votes, or 43 percent, slashing the incumbent’s margin from 38,627 to 8,835.
WCI did not field a candidate in the 2004 elections but Zaitun was widely expected to run again for the second time in the March 8 general election.
However, due to her worsening health condition, Zaitun pulled out from the contest.
100 people attend funeral
Prayers were being held at the Jamek Fastabiqul Khayrat mosque in Shah Alam before burial at the nearby Pusara Kenangan Abadi Muslim cemetery at 1pm.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail when met at the mosque said she felt "sad at losing Zaitun at such a young age".
"It's a loss for all of us. She was a strong advocate for women's rights," she added.
Fellow women activist Irene Fernandez also expressed her sorrow over Zaitun's passing.
"She was a great person with strong beliefs and firm principles," said the director of rights NGO Tenaganita.
Others seen at the funeral were Women's Aid Organisation's Ivy Josiah, Subang parliamentarian R Sivarasa, Kota Damansara state assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim.
Please visit www.malaysiakini.com for more updates.End
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