Ang calls for specific mention of the disabled in Article on equality

Dato Sri Ang Lai Soon

KUCHING (Oct 7): Sarawak Cheshire Home president Dato Sri Ang Lai Soon is appealing to the federal government to amend Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution on equality and equality before the law.

He said in a statement yesterday the Article does not expressly mention the disabled or prohibit discrimination based on disability of a person.

He said this is not the first time he has touched on the legislation as he brought up the same issue in 2013, and although Article 8(2) was amended several years ago to prohibit discrimination based on gender, the amendment did not mention discrimination against the disabled.

Touching on the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008, Ang said it is time that Parliament made express provisions to enforce rights of disabled like opportunities to employment, education, access to buildings and public facilities, services for disabled.

The Act should also provide remedies or penalties for breach of provisions in the Act.

“As Malaysia has been hoping to enjoy the status of a developed country, it is therefore time for a National Disability Rights Tribunal to be set up by the government to investigate any breach of the Act and impose or recommend penalties or solutions for non-compliance which seems to be happening every day.”

He also made an appeal to the government to sign the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) (2006).
“The government did sign and did ratify the main Convention (CRPD) but has not yet signed the Optional Protocol.

“It is important so that there is international monitoring procedure on the implementation of provisions of the main Convention on rights of the disabled, in Malaysia and by the government.”

Ang added this should be done without any further delay, while pointing out the term ‘disabled’ is not necessarily referred to those who are born with some forms of disability like without an arm or with no ears or with one eye blind at birth.

“A young or elderly person through an accident or a stroke is a disabled person, or just simply sickly and old age.

“I hope there is one area which the government can take the lead to implement Building By-Laws and provide facilities for the disabled in government and public buildings,” he said.

He noted most of old public buildings have not been modified or renovated to provide facilities like ramps, lifts, accessible public toilets, for use of disabled.

Implementing these modifications is important as it facilitate persons with disabilities can use and enjoy all the facilities or participate in activities in the Government and public buildings like normal people.

Ang added that in Malaysia, disabled persons who are using wheelchairs are not able to use buses which he said is not acceptable, as many people do not own a car.

“I therefore hope that all new buses to be put on the road should be equipped with a ramp for the disabled. I am confident that bus companies would also like to make contributions to help the disabled.

“Many disabled persons have to go to clinics, hospitals, to work or to go shopping. It is not a luxury.

“I suggest the local authorities throughout the country consider providing vehicles for the purpose of ferrying disabled people to clinics and hospitals and to workplaces,” he said.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3aetR2d
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