Disabled Senator is Wrong Choice Say Activists

Disabled senator: Best wishes from PM, criticism from community

November 19, 2013

Physically challenged translator K Bathmavathi's appointment as a senator yesterday saw some leaders of the disabled community questioning the criteria used to pick her.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has sent greetings to K Bathmavathi, a physically challenged translator who took oath as senator yesterday.

“Selamat berkhidmat,” Najib said in his latest tweet attached with a message of the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim on the appointment.

Rohani in her Twitter account this morning thanked Najib for selecting Bathmavathi to represent people with disabilities in Malaysia.

Bathmavathi, 59, a member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (OKU) as well as is a writer and a freelance translator was appointed as OKU Senator to replace visually-impaired economist Prof Dr Ismail Md Salleh who died of a heart attack in 2009.

However other disabled community leaders were less forthcoming in welcoming Bathmavathi’s appointment.

Anthony Thanasayan, an MBPJ councillor, questioned Bathmavathi’s contributions towards the disabled community.

“It is a wrong choice made by the ministry to have her in as a representative for the disabled as she has poor track record in helping the disabled,” he told FMT.

“What is the criteria for the selection? Who did the ministry consult before making the appointment?” asked Thanasayan

Another disabled activist, Francis Siva, said his disabled group was not consulted while making the decision for the community’s representative in parliament.

“The government did not work with the grassroots people for the selection and it is the community which is suffering due to this,” said the president of Independent Living and Training Centre for the Disabled.

He added that the disabled community needed a representative in the parliament who can work at a grassroots level.

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Disabled Senator, Make the Necessary Changes or Get Out!

From Facebook by Wheelchair Basketball President Pahang Chong Tuck Meng:

From Free Malaysia Today on disabled senator by Tuck Meng Chong: Kudos to government for appointment of a new senator especially from the other race and someone from wheelchair bound. 

I am not supporting any groups but personally I am in the opinion that the choice of the senator was totally wrong. 

They are a few Indian oku who are more vocal and who can stand on behalf of the oku rather than a yes-man to the government. 

It doesn't serve any purpose if someone who is going to listen to their boss rather than demanding the rights of the disabled. 

My challenge to the new senator, by the beginning of 2014 get the government to increase the monthly monetary aid to the severely bedridden who needs a fulltime care giver to get Rm 1000 and the adult disabled person to get Rm 500 and the disabled children to increase their current Rm 150 to Rm 300. 

Don't waste time on accessibility and job opportunity because the government knew all our grievances and woes. 

Its your duty to do just that before we move into other issues. You have mentioned in the press you have been serving the disabled for more than 30 years, may I ask what is your accomplishment. 

Make the changes or else get lost..... take up my challenge.

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 250,000 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.org 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!

More Flak for Disabled Senator

PETPOSITIVE NEWS!

DATELINE PARLIAMENT HOUSE:

MORE AND MORE disabled Malaysians are expressing their disbelief and disappointment over the appointment of Ms Bathmavathi Krishnan as disabled senator here yesterday.

Their main criticism of her is her poor record in advocating for and upholding disabilty rights.

"Not only have we never seen her participating in any of the critical demonstrations for disability rights but she has even contradicted the views of disabled advocates is support of the government of the day," said a wheelchair activist.

"The Government has found the perfect mouthpiece to justify their lackadaisical attitude towards the handicapped community in Malaysia in a disabled senator who is crippled with no grassroots support."