Disabled’s Merdeka wish list

Next Monday, we will be commemorating our 58th Independence Day or Merdeka.

However, for Malaysians with disabilities, the annual celebrations over the years have only become occasions which are increasingly difficult and pointless to jump up with joy and shout about.

How can we, when virtually everything is so expensive these days?

And the situation has only exacerbated since the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) in April.

My friend MT, who uses a wheelchair, took a giant leap of faith last December to rent a room and live on her own.

She was forced to do this after her parents died – leaving her to fend for herself.

Working as a salesperson at a nearby supermarket, MT had no choice but to give up on the occasional taxi rides to her job.

She simply couldn't afford the fares since the GST. She, now, wheels herself to work daily – even though the trip from home to work and back is almost 2km.

MT told me that she had to cut down on her groceries and the quality of her meals. This is mainly because the medication cost for her condition has also been spiralling.

Disabled Malaysians have been asking for a monthly allowance of RM500 to help meet the cost of living for several years.

But sadly, it has only fallen on deaf ears of the government.     

Many wonder why the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry – as well as the Welfare Department – did nothing to create a waiver system for them when the GST was introduced four months ago.

This would not only have softened the blow for disabled Malaysians, it would also gone a great way to encourage more unregistered disabled people to come forward to obtain their handicapped identity cards.

It has been rumoured that the government is thinking about such a waiver soon. But no one knows if this will come to fruition.

And it is anyone's guess if the "RM500-a-month special allowance for the disabled" throughout the country will be included in next month's Budget 2016 announcement.

Frankly, it isn't the able-bodied public alone who are pretty upset over the RM2.6 billion “donation”. Malaysians with disabilities are, too.

I have received many calls from disabled persons expressing their regret over the matter.

All of them wished if only some of that money had been utilised to improve the quality of lives and services for people with disabilities in our country, what a wonderful gift it would have been for all of us!     

Here, quickly, are some of the things they suggested, which make for a marvellous wish list for Merdeka:

* Personal attendants (PA) or caregivers: this should be provided – and paid for – by the government for the disabled and elderly requiring daily living skills at home.

PAs should be sent out to help them with their chores, such as bathing, cooking and cleaning. These should also involve helping them in their social activities, such a day out as well as their hospital appointments.    

In overseas, governments provide caregivers round-the-clock for those who are profoundly handicapped, such as those paralysed from the chest or neck down.

The situation is especially critical for the disabled whose family members have died.

This prevents anyone from becoming "a burden to society and others". Proper support like this will help the disabled lead independent and active lives in society.

* Telephone and Internet service providers: subscribers with disabilities should be made a priority in all telcos.

Please try and outdo yourselves to come up with the best and most affordable plan for subscribers with disabilities in order to ensure that every disabled person in the country is able to use the Internet/phone to enjoy a higher quality of life.

The mobile phone can be a blessing to PWDs in an emergency, while the Internet can provide them with invaluable information on just about anything.

* Local councils and accessibility: you guys should step up with your plans to make every town and cities fully disabled friendly.

Please stop treating disabled people as if they are "helpless." The reason they are helpless now is because of you, and your failure to provide them with their basic rights to accessibility.

It is time that you catch up with the rest of the world in this in order to earn yourself the title as the "Most liveable city."

Get rid of tokenisms. Do things from the bottom of your hearts. Thank you. – August 24, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.