2004 Annual Festive

 

    The annual Festive Dinner was held on 2nd February 2004 in the premises of North Malaya Cheah Si Chong Soo. Same as the past functions organized in previous years, it was well supported as the guests and participants from all other places in Penang came to grace this joyous and warm gathering. The distinguished guests included YB Teng Hock Nam, YB Lee Hark Tiek from the Coalition Government Barisan Nasional, Mr. Wang Kang Li and Mr. Wang Bing Jiao from Parti Keadilan, Datuk Wen Zhen Xiang, Mr. Chen Da An, Mr. Chia Kwang Chye and many others.

    Our Chairman, Mr. Wong Tin Choi in this addressing speech emphasized the need of a an accessible vehicle for disabled persons to enable them attending daily functions and outings such as meeting doctors for medical treatment, schooling, shopping for necessities and even reporting for work. Mr. Wong also mentioned that the Society had in August 2003 jointly organized Signature Campaign with 12 other friendly societies and organization to solicit support from public urging the Authorities to implement acts for the protection of disabled persons. The implementation of the acts was important because the basic rights of the disabled persons were ignored and not well respected. Many buildings were being built with total ignorance of existence of disabled persons and this unfriendly environment thus made inaccessible to disabled persons. In addition, car parks which were specially allocated to disabled persons were unfairly occupied by non-disabled persons. In view of this, the public were urged to support the Signature campaign and it was hoped that Parliament can pass the said Acts to protect the welfare and basic human rights of the disabled persons.

    The three objectives of the Enactment would be:

  1. To ensure all disabled persons in Malaysia enjoy the same basic and equal rights that being enjoyed by other Malaysians.

  2. To remove and eradicate the so-called attitudes of discrimination and apartheid towards the disabled.

  3. To groom and cultivate understandings in the Societies that would accept and receive the disabled persons as normal persons in the concept of co-existence through which disabled persons are given opportunities to participate in the process of national building.

    Penang Executive Councilor YB Dr. Teng Hock Nam reiterated that the proposal to have accessible transport for the disabled would be forwarded to the State Government and he hoped that Penang Government could subsidize the project through the scheme of RM1 to RM1 basis of the funding to materialize the purchase the required vehicle for the disabled. The cost of the said vehicle is estimated at RM100,000, the Society had through various projects collected about RM50,000 for this purpose. The deficit of the amount may be funded by the State Government. Dr. Teng further pointed out the co-operation between the private sector and government was vital in order to help and solve the various issues and problems faced by the disabled. The private sectors should take the initiatives employing disabled and this would directly help them to live independently.

    The MP of Bukit Bendera, YB Mr. Chia Kwang Chye commented that the state assembly representative from Bukit Bendera and him would jointly donate RM10,000 through the fund from their constituents to support the purchase of the accessible vehicle. YB Mr. Chia said that the dream of the disabled to have an accessible vehicle would materialize if all quarters came forward to support it.

    YB Mr.Lee Haik Teik from Pengkalan Kota also donated RM1,000 for the education fund of the Society.

    Other speakers in the Annual Festive Dinner included Mr. Wang Kang Li, the Legal Affair Bureau of Parti Keadilan.

2004 Annual Festival Photo



 


 

 

 

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