International Day of Disabled People 2010

This entry is republished from PETERTAN.com

Every December 3, we observe the International Day of Disabled People (IDDP). The theme for IDDP 2010, as promulgated by United Nations Enable, is “Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond.” The website also suggested how this day may be observed, namely:

Include: Observance of the Day provides opportunities for participation by all stakeholders – Governments, UN system organizations, civil society and organizations of persons with disabilities – to focus on issues related to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the MDGs.  

Organize: Hold forums, public discussions and information campaigns in support of the Day focusing on disability issues and development, finding innovative ways and means by which persons with disabilities and their families can be further integrated into the development agenda.

Celebrate: Plan and organize performances everywhere to showcase – and celebrate – the contributions by persons with disabilities to the communities in which they live as agents of development and change. 

Take Action: A major focus of the Day is practical action to mainstream disability in all aspects of development, as well as to further their participation in social life and development on the basis of equality. Take action to highlight progress and obstacles in implementing disability-sensitive policies, as well as promote public awareness of the contributions by persons with disabilities to the development of their communities.

I see no joy in celebrating this day dedicated to disabled people. The only reason I am writing this is to put on record my disappointment at how, despite promises and assurances by top politicians, people in high government positions, people who can effect change from both sides of the political divide, barriers that have been preventing full participation by disabled people have not been eradicated.

True, new public infrastructure have accessible facilities, but these, like I have pointed out in the “Circle of Mobility for Disabled People” are islands in an ocean of barriers. There is simply no convenient connectivity from one point to another, even in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. What more can disabled people living in the other cities and towns throughout the country expect?

As far as I can see, nothing much has changed from 26 years ago. Nothing much has changed since the gazetting of the By-Law 34A of the Uniform Building By-Law in the mid 1990s that specifically requires buildings to be accessible to disabled people. What has changed since the Persons with Disabilities Act came into force in 2008? And what has changed since International Day of Disabled People 2009? The concluding paragraph of last year’s entry is food for thought.

Talk is cheap. I have heard ministers, wives of ministers and government officials talk about making life easier for disabled people. Many of these “positive announcements” are archived in this blog. As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed. 1Malaysia kah or Rakyat Didahulukan kah, disabled people are still marginalised in every way through ommission, ignorance and discrimination. The people in government should stop talking and start working towards achieving equalisation of opportunities for disabled people. Just resolve our issues. It is as simple as that. We do not need the government spending money celebrating this day but not doing anything afterwards. No thank you!

Pizza Papa John's @ Berjaya Times Square

Amir, Mahid and I had a chance to try out this pizza outlet in Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur last month. We were picking Mahid up to spend the night at our place in Bukit Antarabangsa sebab esok harinya ada plan nak berjumpa Roy untuk berkaraoke dan kemudiannya ke Lookout Point di Ampang.

Dah lama betul kami tak keluar bersama begini. Rasanya sejak zaman di Universiti dulu, Maklumlah masa aku bekerja dulu amat sibuk sampai tak ada masa untuk kawan-kawan yang rata-ratanya guru ataupun pensyarah yang ada cuti yang banyak. Masa tak bekerja nilah aku ambil untuk spend time dengan kawan-kawan selagi boleh dan berkesempatan. Walaupun dah tak berkerja, ada juga halangan lain seperti terpaksa pergi dialysis 3 kali seminggu.

Berjumpa Mahid di Times Square ni pun selepas selesai sesi dialysis di Hospital Ampang sejak petang hari tersebut. Kali ini Mahid belanja kami (Thank you very much Che Mah) Moga rezeki beliau bertambah-tambah hendaknya dan kami doakan beliau sentiasa bahagia dan sejahtera, Amin.

CheeseSticks with Garlic Sauce

Syahr El suka makanan di sini. Sedap seperti di Vivo juga di Berjaya Times Square. Banyak jugalah kami order walaupun kononnya Syahr El sedang diet Salad. Memang ada order salad tapi yang lain belasah lah juga.. Rezaki dari Allah kan,,,

Baked Meatballs in Carbonara Sauce

For starters kami order CheeseSticks yang amat sedap dicicah dengan garlic sauce. Menjilat-jilatlah SYAHR eL dan Mahid makan dipping sauce tu. Amir tak makan sauce tu sebab dia tak suka garlic.

Cheese Baked Rice

Untuk order individual, Mahid ordered Baked Meatballs in Carbonara Sauce. Sepatutnya menu ini diserve dengan sauce pizza tapi katanya dah abis so tukarlah dengan carbonara sauce. Jadilah... tapi rasanya agak kureng dengan sauce tu. We're very sure kalau dengan pizza sauce it will taste much better.

Chef's Salad

Amir pula order Cheese Baked Rice. Memang kesukaan dia menu ni so sedap lah katanya,

Syahr El pula order Chef Salad. Ada ke patut waiter kami terlupa nak kasi tau chef untuk buat salad. So dapat lambat lah. Alhamdulillah sedap and it was worth the wait.

 All the Meats 9 inch Thin Pizza

We shared two pizzas that night, Super Papa's 9 inch Thin Pizza dan juga All the Meats 9 inch Thin Pizza. Yummy! Itu aja yang boleh dan patut Syahr El katakan... mesti cuba!

Super Papa's 9 inch Thin Pizza

So lepas perut dah kenyang we headed home dengan Mahid menjadi tamu terhormat kami heheheh. Welcome to our home Mahid.

Best of Friends Forever @ Chili's KLCC

 Roy & Mahid

Syahr El telah berpeluang menemui dua-rakan karib;  Mahid dan Roy di Chili's KLCC beberapa minggu lalu. Mereka berdua telah Syahr El kenal selama 17 tahun sejak kami belajar di Pusat Pendidikan Persediaan, Institut Teknologi MARA (PPP/ITM) di Seksyen 17 Shah Alam. Mahid dan Syahr El, we were roomates for about three years semasa kami tinggal di blok 17 di asrama Seksyen 18 Shah Alam. Roy pula tinggal di tingkat bawah bilik kami. Syahr El dan Roy juga pernah tinggal bersama semasa sesi practical kami di Sekolah Menengah Seksyen 18 dan tinggal bersebelahan bilik di tahun akhir kami di Kamsis B UKM. I wish that many more of our best friends were there that day; Shazril Helmi, Wan Irham and Azzuhri - these are my best boyfriends and we have gone through most of our early adulthood together.

I love these people so much. Mereka ni dah macam adik beradik Syahr El sendiri. Banyak rahsia Syahr El yang kami kongsi bersama dan banyak juga susah senang yang kami lalui bersama. Tetapi tidak dinafikan yang persahabatan kami memang sesuatu yang menyeronokkan, terutamanya semasa kami tinggal bersama di Seksyen 18 Shah Alam dahulu.

Kawan-kawan karib Syahr El ini semuanya berjaya dalam hidup dan bidang mereka, alhamdulillah syukur pada Allah yang kami semua dapat menikmati kesenangan hidup atas rezeki yang diberiNya.

Shazril, kawan paling rapat semasa di PPP dulu, beliaulah orang pertama yang Syahr El tegur dan bercakap semasa sesi pendaftaran di PPP tahun 1993 dulu. Dan lebih menarik lagi kami telah ditempatkan di bilik yang sama. Beliau kini bertugas di Bangkok selama 3 tahun.

Wan Irham pula ialah satu-satunya rakan dalam kumpulan kami yang telah berumah tangga dan mempunyai seorang anak. Beliau bersama isterinya Shafinah sedang meneruskan pengajian untuk Doktor Falsafah (PhD) di Kuala Lumpur. Mereka berdua adalah pensyarah di Universiti Teknologi MARA di Sungai Petani.

Roy pula sedang bertugas di Universiti Kuala Lumpur dan telah memenangi Anugerah Pendidikan baru-baru ini dari UniKL. Roy ialah seorang ahli sukan dalam bidang yang handal badminton, basketball dan bowling (Hmmmm semuanya bermula dengan huruf B heheheh) 

Mahid pula adalah seorang pensyarah di Kolej Matrikulasi di Labuan. Mahid ni very special orangnya kerana dia sentiasa happy. Tak pernah menunjukkan dirinya sedang mengalami sebarang masalah dan sentiasa ceria. Oleh kerana kami berkongsi bilik di PPP selama 3 tahun dulu, banyak rahsia Syahr El yang dikongsikan bersama Mahid sehingga kini.

Azzuhri pula ialah sahabta karib Roy. Mereka selalu kelihatan bersama semasa di Universiti dulu. Azzuhri juga seperi Mahid, selalu ceria dan tak pernah menunjukkan jika dia ada masalah. Azzuhri adalah satu-satunya rakan kami yang menjadi guru sekolah menengah dan kini berkhidmat di Kota Kinbalu.

Harapan Syahr El agar persahabtan kami ini berpanjangan sehingga ke akhir hayat. Mereka inilah sahabat sejati yang boleh diharap dalam susah dan senang. Mereka selalu mengambil berat tentang diri Syahr El dan rajin bertanya khabar, terutamanya Mahid yang kerap berhubung melalui SMS walaupun dia jauh di Labuan.

Untuk Shazril, Wan, Mahid, Roy dan Zurry, terima kasih atas pesahabatn selana 17 tahun ini. Syahr El amat sayangkan kalian.

Pada hari tersebut kami berbual sakan sambil makan tengahari bersama. Thanks to Roy and Mahid sebab belanja Syahr El dan Amir sempena hari jadi Syahr EL yang ke 35. Kami telah berkongsi berbagai cerita tentang kehidupan kami yang terkini. 

Sebagai starters kami telah berkongsi memesan Wings Over Buffalo (first photo).  I ordered the Suthwesterm Quesadilla (third photo). Ok la rasa dia, somewhat like Nachos juga. Amir ordered his usual  Country Fried Chicken (second photo) while Roy ordered the Fajita Trio (fourth photo). Mahid pula ordered Mushroom Jack Fajitas (last photo). Mahid's mushrooms looked a bit burnt but he said it tasted fine.