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.

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!

Disabled To Protest Sudden Cut On Disability Allowance

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!

DATELINE KUALA LUMPUR:

CRITICISM is mounting over the Welfare Department by the disabled who discovered that their monthly employers allowance benefit of RM300.00 had been suddenly cut from the government. 

Many of them realised this after going to the bank to withdraw the cash only to find out that the monies were not put in in the first place.

Some of those who received the nasty shock and were devastated by it were Hindus who were looking forward to using it to celebrate the upcoming Diwali festival on November 2.

Francis Siva being helped out of his car

Speaking to PET+BLOGSPOT this morning, G Francis Siva who is from PETPOSITIVE and also the president of Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia situated in Rawang, Selangor, said the arbitrary decision by the Welfare Department was a big blow to the handicapped community all across the country. 

"Cutting the EPC allowance and asking the disabled to reapply for it each year is a humungous burden for the handicapped - many of whom can't even access their

Welfare building in their area," Siva pointed out.

"Even if the Government feels they have to do it, then the

onus is on them to visit each and every of the allowance recipients' homes to help them make their renewals. This should be done well in advance to ensure that their payments are not interrupted. The issue is so critical to our survival that we have no choice but to publicly protest against their heartless policy." added Siva.

PETPOSITIVE has raised the matter to a top official in the Welfare Department who expressed her genuine concern and promised to look into the matter urgently.   


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!