the star: welcome news

September 24, 2008 at 4:22 pm · Filed under disability issues ·Tagged , ,

since i have a couple of extra minutes to spare, i thought i should post up an article that caught my attention some weeks ago.

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date: september 18, 2008; thursday
published in: theStar / the star online
url: welcome news

Welcome news

WHEEL POWER WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN
Something to look forward to for the disabled.
PEOPLE with disabilities living in Selangor have been receiving some really good news recently. First, there was the announcement last month by the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya that as many as 150 disabled car parking lots are being introduced by the council and will be ready for use by Christmas.

Now there is more good news. This time from Subang Jaya.

It was reported last week that handicapped residents in the area who drive are encouraged to apply for free parking stickers from the local council.

The stickers will, according to Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, enable the disabled to park their cars at public parking lots that are managed by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ).

It will take a lot more education before we can expect drivers to show more consideration for the needs of the handicapped.

Parking, according to the report, will be free for the handicapped to save them the inconvenience of paying at the parking meters. Here is another shining example of a local council that is willing to go the extra mile in understanding our problems.

We, as handicapped Malaysians, only ask for a chance to live like other non-disabled citizens. It is not often that we come across local councils that show such interest in helping the disabled.

Few of us can forget the shocking incident in 2006 when a woman driver in a wheelchair in Klang was slapped with a warrant of arrest for not settling her parking dues. She couldn’t because the parking metres were simply too high for her reach.

That episode thankfully ended on a positive note – the warrant was rescinded.

The Majlis Perbandaran Klang also showed their sincerity over the error. They went on to introduce scores of disabled-friendly car parks in their town. These are also available free to disabled drivers. The waivers should be given in view of the fact that our infrastructure had not included the needs of the disabled community in the original blueprint. This is why many disabled Malaysians are unable to study in normal schools, find jobs and live a normal life.

So offering free services like these can be considered as society’s “payback time” for the handicapped whom we have disabled by our unwitting neglect.

And one day when full, equal participation by the disabled is finally realised, they will be able to pay for the services themselves.

That is, when all unjust barriers are done away with and the disabled enjoy equal job opportunities, and are in a financial position to take care of themselves.

Until then, it would have to be the local council’s responsibility to look into the needs of its disabled citizens.

All private outfits and shopping complexes should also use this understanding to provide free parking for the disabled as part of their corporate social responsibility.

This would be in line with steps taken by the Federal Government to offer free medical treatment and free passports, to name a few, for the handicapped.

Back to the MBSJ, there are several issues that need to be looked into to make the disabled car parking project a success. The parking stickers need to include caregivers and volunteers who transport the handicapped and not just disabled drivers alone.

Special designated lots for the handicapped is a must. It is not practical to expect the disabled to park in available lots because there really won’t be any.

And let us not expect other drivers to give up their parking lots for the less fortunate. It will take a lot more education in the future before we can expect our denizens to give way to the less able among us.

Meanwhile, as for the disabled woman who was slapped with a summons, well, she is Gurdip aka Rina Kaur who is now councillor for Majlis Perbandaran Selayang.

The last I heard was that she is working hard to improve facilities for the disabled in her area.

Indeed, good and great things are happening for the disabled community.

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definitely a welcoming move!
it’ll be an added bonus if pavements and walkways are disabled-friendly too.

Comments (2)

go figure

August 11, 2008 at 12:12 am · Filed under ramblings

emotions
i thought i had you in control
i guess i could have been wrong

surprises
i wonder what’s in store
i can’t say i’m eager to unwrap you just yet

choices
not easy to make one
it’s harder to stick by it
when you know some choices can hurt

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false hope

July 28, 2008 at 8:43 am · Filed under ramblings

again, i was let down. perhaps my expectations are too high. perhaps, i say..
doesn’t matter, i knew it would happen. but i still hoped.

… i just pray that the day will never come, the day when i’ll say “i gave up hoping..”

ah, well..
cheers to better things ahead.

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intimate stranger

July 23, 2008 at 11:27 pm · Filed under personal devotion

intimate stranger
all too familiar are your thoughtful words and kind gestures
you played with emotions, a gaze too painful for the eyes to see
an empty smile offered sincerely from my inmost being

intimate stranger
i had you but never really own you
the answer will remain a question
perhaps one day there will be that final closure

intimate stranger
the uncanny feeling repeats itself
it’s been too long yet i’ve journey no where
unshackle these chains, you hold the key

intimate stranger
listen and listen well
i now take a step back with hopes to move two step forward
and i know my God’s strength will brave me through

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a toast to good things

July 15, 2008 at 11:26 pm · Filed under ramblings

updates.
yupp, here i go again.

there’s been too many happenings happening that i dunno where to begin or what should i even share. basically, the past three months (and hopefully more to come) has been one of the most fulfilling months ever — in a very very very personal way. it’s like getting a reward after a tedious race, a good bonus after long labour at work. heh, never mind if you still don’t get me – just know that i’m happy.

on another note, i’ve matured lately; in my thought and in my actions. i’ve learn to pause and look, to be still and just listen, not to be too quick to judge but to be more open-minded and understanding. i’ve also learn (in a slightly painful way) that sometimes it’s not good to get too attached to something/ someone.

on another another note, work has been good (and sometimes not so good). i’m learning a lot, i’m meeting great people. however, progress with different projects has been on the slow side but nonetheless there’s still some positive points to it. hoping things will start picking up from now on.

more to share. but i’ll save it for another time – whenever that will be.

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starfish

July 14, 2008 at 1:56 pm · Filed under one, two or three cents thoughts

one day i’ll blog a proper update, but i’ll resort to this for now. this arrived in my inbox a couple of minutes ago:

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.” “I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?” “The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.” “But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference, and if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future.

We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our stars wisely and well, the world will be blessed.

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hp mini

June 21, 2008 at 4:02 pm · Filed under ramblings

should i get this baby now? or should i wait?
is there anything better out there that’s affordable and of better value?

hp mini

hp mini

::hp mini::

i like her looks. i so love the fact that she’s light and petite. but i don’t feel like burning a hole in my pocket at this point. especially now when i’m on the verge of committing myself to some financial commitments.

on the other hand, my current five year old acer travel mate 370 laptop (which i’m very happy and comfortable with) might just die on me anytime now.

here are some reviews:

now i need an expert’s advice.

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forsaken but not forgotten

June 17, 2008 at 11:15 pm · Filed under ramblings

i dunno if anyone still bothers to visit this site anymore now that it hardly gets updated. even i can’t find the time to log on to post up updates. sad but true, working life robs the best out of you at times.

but i’m good and doing well. all by His grace and strength.

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my first post from office

May 2, 2008 at 6:55 pm · Filed under ramblings

one month has passed. somehow it felt longer. the excitement and satisfaction is still there along with the stress. as they say, it comes with the package.

bills. bills. bills.
urgh. i’m suppose to be saving money.

i’m up to something. something challenging.
but i’m still not too sure if it’s doable. so till i know for certain, my lips are shut tight. but if it works out, it would be totally awesomely exciting and mesmerising. i’m praying really really hard…

oh, i’ve moved to a new place which gives a resort-like feeling. i’m missing the good view that i had back in my old place though. guess you can’t have everything. but still what i do have is still pretty good.

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humility

April 19, 2008 at 2:29 am · Filed under ramblings

going through a series of events (no worries, nothing bad happened) the past few days had me thinking a lot about how much i have achieved and how blessed i am to be where i am today.

no, i’m not trying to sound proud or be all egoistic about it. on the contrary, i became more humble. no doubt i have put in a fair share of hard work into the things that i do, but so have many others as well. sometimes i wonder why is it harder for them. i wonder why things just don’t work out. it’s easy to say life isn’t fair but really it’s not a wise thing to tell someone who has gone through one hardship after another.

please, never ever do a comparison. i could have easily been that one in that position. how would have things turn out then? i don’t know. i don’t dare to imagine. perhaps i too would be bitter. perhaps i would have thrown in the towel much earlier. so many things could have happen.

ever since i cheated death once, life has been even more precious to me. life is God’s gift to me. nothing is really ‘mine’. the breathe that i have, the achievements that i have achieved and even the bad experiences that i’ve gone through (cos ultimately you’ll learn something good and valuable out of it) is a gift.

i’m reminded to be humble and grateful again.

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