New Straits Times, Malaysia April 3, 2006

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Local News

Disabled woman: I’m no criminal
Minderjeet Kaur


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KUALA LUMPUR: "I am not a criminal. I am just disabled." This is the plaintive plea of a wheelchair-bound woman issued 10 summonses by the Klang Municipal Council for failure to display a parking ticket on her car.

But things have now become decidedly difficult for Gurmit Kaur, who has been issued with a warrant of arrest for the alleged offences.

The 45-year-old’s defence is this: How can she do so when the ticketing machine does not cater to the disabled?

According to her, she displayed a disabled logo sticker prominently at the side and front of her car.

It all started two years ago when she parked her car at Padang Chetty in Klang.

"There were no parking bays for the disabled and I parked my car at a normal lot. The ticketing machine was not disabled-friendly and I could not purchase a ticket," she said.

"I was in Klang for two weeks and the enforcement officers issued me 10 summonses. Once, I tried explaining my predicament but the enforcement officer refused to listen," she said.

Frustrated, she wrote appeal letters to the council to waive the summonses but "the council’s legal department totally refused to listen".

Gurmit, who is paralysed from the waist down, works as a secretary with Independent Living and Training Centre. Her situation has also caused uneasiness among other wheelchair-bound residents at the centre.

Centre adviser Anthony Thanasayan said he was trying to see Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting on the matter.

"Instead of caring and helping the disabled, they are treating us like criminals."

He said it was time the ministry ensured that at least two parking bays were allocated for the disabled at post office and clinics.

"The disabled also need to go out for various reasons — to cut hair, buy grocery and watch movies."

Thanasayan said the ministry, with the help of the centre, should educate and train enforcement officers on the disabled.

The centre, he said, wanted the council to apologise for the distress caused to Gurmit.

"Sending a warrant of arrest to a wheelchair-bound person for illegal parking is inexcusable. What does it say about society?"

Centre president Francis Siva said the Selayang Municipal Council had allocated 60 parking lots for the disabled while Kuala Lumpur City Hall often waived summonses issued to them.

"Both authorities have had dialogue sessions with us to make the areas under their jurisdiction more disabled-friendly."
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