The three protests by Peter Tan (Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities), Assoc Prof Dr. Tium Linga Ta (Society for the Orthopaedically Disabled) and Bathmavathi Krishnan (Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association) in the Letters’ Page in the New Straits Times today represents not only the views of the disabled community but all decent and right-thinking Malaysians.
As Peter Tan wrote:
AS a wheelchair user for the last 23 years, I am absolutely upset with Jerai member of parliament Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin for telling fellow-MP Karpal Singh that the latter’s use of a wheelchair is a punishment from God (“Kar-pal: Lawyer wrote part of judgment for civil suit” — NST, Oct 23).
Badruddin’s remark is an affront to all wheelchair users, implying that our condition is a punishment and that we are all sinners.
I have been using a wheelchair long enough to have experienced many times such drivel from holier-than-thou people. People must be educated that being disabled is one of the things that can happen to anybody. People can become disabled. People can become afflicted with diseases. It is part of life.
Perhaps Badruddin seldom meets wheelchair users. As an MP, he should turun padang and meet his electorate to realise that they include disabled people, some of whom are wheelchair users.
He should be working towards empowering disabled people instead of insulting us. After all, he was elected to serve the people and not otherwise.
Although Badruddin is no stranger to uncouth statements, he must be condemned in the strongest possible terms for his latest insensitive, ignorant, deplorable, despicable and abhorrent remark, insulting not only Karpal, the disabled community (OKU) but the august Parliament in bringing it to new depths of public shame.
If Badruddin refuses to retract his insensitive, offensive and derogatory remark, trespassing the bounds of common decency, there should be a nation-wide condemnation which should also demand that Barisan Nasional MPs dissociate themselves from Badruddin’s despicable statement.
#1 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 27 October 2007 - 9:22 pm
For those who want to talk cock, go here “http://talkingcock.com/
#2 by limkamput on Saturday, 27 October 2007 - 9:36 pm
Undergrad2, thanks, ya, the word is derogatory. Sorry.
#3 by limkamput on Saturday, 27 October 2007 - 9:50 pm
Ah Pek, at least i am giving a suggestion to do something, and political parties with networking ability should start the ball rolling. We has sms, don’t we? One more thing, when I suggested doing something, it is meant for political parties. Please don’t turn around and say why don’t I do it. Why don’t YOU do it. It is difficult right? Of course.
#4 by AhPek on Sunday, 28 October 2007 - 11:53 am
(1)Should read “…………………..in rural areas you can have 1 MP to represent 5000 people whereas in an urban area you have to have 1 MP to represent some 80000 people.”
(2)Should read “………………….The Judiciary can be made to dance to the Executive tune.”
limkamput, I think you’ve failed to understand my comments in toto and thereby it is needless for me to respond to a challenge from you.
In any case a far better way of trying to make a difference would be give support to what Haris Ibrahim, a well-known human right advocate in the local scene’ is trying to do.Or come 10th November get to Dataran Merdeka to support what RPK is doing.We’ll have a much better rate of success (if there is any success) and a far greater impact than any suggested by any commenter of blogs simply cos they are organised by people far better known as fighters for the people’s cause.
#5 by bhuvan.govindasamy on Sunday, 28 October 2007 - 10:25 pm
Badruddin is nothing more than a small sample of what’s really out there. I find the general Malay populace is becoming more uncouth & violent. It is as if the Malays are using people like Badruddin as mentors and gold standards of behavior.
All it took was 20 years of Mahathir-ism to negate more than 1000 years of Malay culture known for its politeness and friendliness. I do hope that the Malay people are proud of their current metamorphosis.
#6 by AhPek on Monday, 29 October 2007 - 11:08 am
‘All it took was 20 years of Mahathirism to negate more than 1000 years of Malay culture known for its politeness and friendliness.’.bhuvan.govindasamy.
I couldn’t agree with you any less… has destroyed everything that’s decent in this country thro 22 years of excesses of his making.This damage has become so ingrained now that the country has to be run into the ground before it can arise from the ashes of phoenix.
So fellow Malaysian, please brace yourself for more scandals, more corruptions,more mismanagements,more lawlessness until we slide to the state like Zimbabwe,Sierra Leone,Myanmmar,Haiti or any other similar banana republics.
#7 by rokian on Monday, 29 October 2007 - 11:12 am
After a teacher explain to her kindergarten class the various type of animals can be found in zoo, she ask “where is the nearest zoo?”. One kid raise her hand, said “Dewan Parliment”
#8 by akarmalaysian on Monday, 29 October 2007 - 10:02 pm
dont worry badruddin will be in wheel chair if not bedridden.his day will come.thats what most of the UMNO politicians are made of…childish.