When our city lags far behind in disabled-friendly facilities

The city of Kota Kinabalu is still a far cry in terms of providing facilities for the disabled, especially in relation to its public transport system.

Fariz Abd Rani, 33, said despite provision of facilities for the disabled is still lagging in the State and particularly in the city, the situation has however improved and for the better, since 2008.

“Our (the disabled) rights are advocated with the assistance of the Cheshire Home through its ‘Young Voices of Sabah’. This is a local group advocating for the rights of the disabled through which we learn a lot about confidence-building to enable us to help others who have basically given up on life,” he said.

The Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs also lends its voice to speak for the rights of the disabled.

Quoting the launching of a disabled-friendly premises at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens, Fariz said it was reflective of the ministry’s concern for the disabled.

“The facilities include a special elevator, toilets and doors which facilitate easier access for us to move around in the building,” said Fariz, the receipient of the ‘Anugerah Sukarelawan Kebajikan Muda’ in 2011.

He said the most challenging part is surmounting the non-friendly public transport system towards the disabled in the city.

“It is by no means an easy feat to take a ride on the public transport if no facility for the disabled is provided. The operators feel compelled and burdened just to give us a ride.

“I once experienced an occasion where a taxi driver left my cousin and I to rue only because of my condition as a paraplegic who uses a wheelchair to move about. My cousin is a normal person. When the taxi driver saw I was on a wheelchair, he simply left us to our own device,” he said relating some of the sour moments he has gone through.

“I understand the situation and I am conscious of the fact that the awareness level among the able-bodied people to lend credible assistance to the disabled is sadly still very low indeed,” he lamented.

But there is still a glimmer of hope that facilities for the disabled in the State or for a start, in the city, could be instituted and improved and that more disabled-friendly buildings would be built in the future, he added.

Without any cynicism intended, Fariz stated that it would render irrelevant even if all the buildings were disabled-friendly, if connectivity for the disabled to gain access into those structures remains unresolved.

When he spoke of connectivity, the public transport system has to be essentially equipped with disabled-friendly facilities operated by dignified and understanding able-bodied humans.

A road accident some 14 years ago has left Fariz with a spinal cord injury which rendered him a paraplegic.

“I was then a first-year undergraduate in Applied Physics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) when it occurred.

“After the accident, I just stayed home without any thought of doing anything at all, for all I did was eat, sleep and watched the TV,” he said.

Three years down the road, he finally came to his senses and decided to continue pursuing for a more meaningful life.

“The first year after the accident was a period of struggle with my own emotion. It was not easy to accept the fact that I had become a disabled person.

“The second year was a period of re-assessment and that was when I started thinking rationally to determine until when would I want to stay at home doing nothing. It wasn’t until the third year after the trauma that it dawned on me that it was more meaningful to come out of my shell and face the real world to start a new life,” he said.

Without the support and love from family members, he would have given up on life.

“Family support is very important. During the three-year period, they were the ones who had to fight their own emotional battles to encourage and help me to continue with my life. They were the ones who gave me unqualified moral support and encouragement. Without them, I would not be where I am now,” he recalled unabashedly.

Fariz is the founder of Syarikat Jasa Bumi Prosthetic, the first Bumiputera company in the State to manufacture prostheses for the hands and legs and the company’s office is located at Central Plaza, Kepayan Ridge.

In order to understand his customers better, Fariz is currently pursuing an academic programme at the Open University Malayisa (OUM) leading to the bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

“I want to reach out to my clients, especially those who give up on life. With a degree in psychology, I will be armed with knowledge that can come in handy.

“Thus far, I rely on my personal experience and journey to motivate others, and I usually tell them that they each have promising futures since they can still work and socialise with people, like me” said Fariz.

Recalling the time he first set foot at OUM, there was no facility provided for the disabled and he took it upon himself to discuss with the power that be and proposed for the installation of facilities to turn the building into one that is disabled-friendly.

“I was fortunate that the principal accepted my proposal and currently there are several disabled people studying in OUM,” he said.

Sharing the same thought and expressing almost similar sentiment, Francis Xavier Kijan, 28, of Penampang, said the public transportation system and building structures in and around the city are not equipped with any facility for the disabled.

Kijan said to have been born as a disabled has made him resolutely strong to carry on with life.

The youngest son of five children, he said his experience working as a mechanic has led him to modify a motorcycle for his own use.

He is currently gainfully employed in a pastry café at Central Plaza, Kepayan Ridge and admitted to facing innumerable challenges in life as a disabled person but for him nothing is impossible.

When he initially started working the people around him were not confident as to his capability and he has a burning desire for success to prove that he can do too whatever able-bodied people can do.

“I worked as a welder for four years and later worked as a mechanic.

“I have an ambition to work in the broadcasting field and the Cheshire Home sent two of us to attend a one-month course in Broadcasting and Film Making in 2010 in Sri Lanka. And that was sufficient to make me possess the experience to venture into this field,” he said with an air of confidence.

** Published on May 10, The Borneo Post (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah)

Fariz Abd Razi

Francis Xavier Kijan is using the automatic 'OKU lift'

Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun is helping one of the OKU to pass through the automatic door

What I love the most about my job..

Saat yang paling best kerja sebagai reporter ni bila tibanya hari anugerah yang diadakan setiap tahun

Bagi kami yang kerja di Sabah, anugerah ni di kenali sebagai 'Kinabalu Shell Press Awards' yang dianjurkan oleh Sabah Journalist Association (SJA) with cooperation of Shell dengan kerjasama State Government..

Last night, May 1,2012 merupakan anniversary ke-20..huh lama sudah awards ni dianjurkan..tahniah buat semua yg terlibat..Ni beberapa aksi yg sempat aku semadikan dlm hp murah ku..alhamdulillah walaupun aku menang MERIT (Saguhati) tapi ia cukup bermakna buat aku..masih jauh perjalanan hidup ku dalam bidang ni..

Me at Red Carpet 'Kinabalu Shell Press Awards'

with Kristy, the crazy one

the K-POP girls

Sandra, Aniq n Mariah posing at Red Carpet

K-POP la konon with Avila n Sandra

my ATCR Sandra n Lester

me n Lester

Geng 'B' Lester n Mariah

Trip to Brunei Darussalam

Launching KK-Bandar Sri Begawan route 2-3 Feb 2012 (MASWings)

Ni adalah kali kedua aku mengikuti rombongan MASWings selepas trip ke Tarakan pada bulan Januari lalu..walaupun hanya untuk 2 hari tapi dapat juga la aku jejak kaki ke negara jiran kita ni..'nya orang Brunei merasa jua walau sekejap, jan kempunan..

Negara yang boleh dikira paling kaya di kepulauan Borneo..Sebut saja Brunei mesti kita fikirkan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah yang memiliki Istana bersalut emas, ceh macam cerita dongeng budak2 la pula

Sampai jak kami di Brunei, kami terus dibawa ke VIP lounge airport, untuk menghadiri sesi taklimat ringkas dan malam tengahari..maklum la kami sampai betul2 jam 1.30petang memang kebulur sangat2

Walaupun makanan di Sabah lebih kurang jak dengan Brunei tapi terdapat sedikit sebanyak perbezaan..mau cerita lebih2 susah juga sebab kami tidak sempat untuk merasa makanan warung yang pastinya ada keistimewaannya sendiri

Nasib baik la masa trip ni, ada beberapa orang wartawan lain dari Sabah yang dibawa bersama. Walaupun tidak kenal rapat dengan diorang ni tapi ok juga la..

Antara tempat yang sempat kami kunjungi..Kampung Ayer, Brunei Muzium, Masjid Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah dan Masjid Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien. 

Malangnya kerana kekangan masa..kami tidak dapat masuk ke Masjid Sultan Omar Ali..so terpaksa ambil gambar dari luar ja la..masjid ni cukup cantik dan sama seperti masjid2 lain di sekitar Bandar Seri Begawan ni, pagarnya bersalut emas..buli jual ka tu ar?? hahaha...

Apa yang menarik perhatian..adalah dekorasi di Masjid Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah. Ia bersalut emas termasuk la pagar yang mengelilinginya. Masjid ni dilengkapi dengan escalator or tangga bergerak khas  disediakan untuk laluan keluarga diraja..Pintu pagar juga terdapat pintu khas untuk keluarga diraja. 

Melangkah kaki ke dalam masjid membuat aku terpegun..Subahanallah reka bentuk di dalamnya cukup indah sehingga sukar digambarkan melalui kata-kata..Biarla mata yang bercerita melalui gambar yang sempat diambil..Masjid ni turut dihiasi oleh chandelier yang di import dari luar negara..tapi aku tidak pay attention masa kena bagi explanation dari negara mana kena import lampu2 ni..

Sepanjang tour untuk 2 hari..tour guide kami, Jenne banyak membantu memperkenalkan Bandar Sri Begawan. Dari keluarga diraja sehingga la sejarah negara tersebut. 

Apa yang menarik perhatian aku, kebanyaakan pekerja hotel, pemandu termasuklah tour guide kami semuanya bukan warga Brunei. Apa agaknya kerja muda-mudi di Brunei ni ar??? Mungkin semua business sendiri kan..

Banyak2 history yang diceritakan..bab paling aku suka dengar bila setiap pagi kereta milik Sultan Brunei yang beratus-ratus jenis harus dihidupkan enjinya..uishh banyak tu berapa ramai agaknya pekerja yang ditugaskan untuk hidupkan enjin kereta sahaja..

Peluang kerja di Brunei ni banyak dan duit pun 'masyuk' maklum la mereka tidak perlu bayar apa2 tax macam kita d Malaysia ni..

 

alhamdulillah sempat juga aku merakamkan gambar kenangan di hadapan masjid yg cukup cantik ni

Masjid Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah

escalator for royal family

the beauty decoration of the mosque

Masjid Sultan Ali Omar Saifuddien

Masjid Sultan Ali Omar Saifuddien

Masjid Sultan Ali Omar Saifuddien

Usong Raja-Brunei Muzium

view from the tower at Kampung Ayer Culture Gallery

walkway opposite Kampung Ayer

our tour guide-Jenne

My BFF wedding vs Penang Trip

Tanggal 9/3/2012 seorang lagi sahabat baik ku sah menjadi isteri orang..

Kali ni aku dapat menghadirkan diri di majlisnya yang diadakan di Padang Serai, Kedah..Tarikh bersejarah itu cukup bermakna buat Nurain Kamarudin yang kini sudah sah bergelar isteri kepada Nor Mohd Shahril Ariffin..Tahniah both of you.

Sebenarnya kedua-dua mereka ni aku kenal masa zaman belajar di USM dulu..Ain ni memang kira ‘geng’ aku la masa study..cuma suami dia ni kitorang kenal di luar..maklum la dia orang luar bukan student USM..mungkin sudah jodoh agaknya kan jadi terjumpa la kami dengan sang jejaka yang merupakan adik boyfriend seorang lagi sahabat karibk merangkap rakan sebilikku masa duduk Desasiswa Restu dulu.

Setelah lima tahun tidak bertemu, akhirnya aku jejakkan kaki kembali ke Pulau Mutiara yang banyak ajar aku budaya orang luar. Selama ni kan aku duduk Sabah jak mana la aku kenal dunia luar..

Alhamdulillah rezeki aku dapat sambung belajar di USM..Walaupun kenal dengan kawan2 aku ni hanya tiga tahun jak tapi macam sudah bertahun2 kami saling mengenali..Berbalik kepada cerita sang pengantin..aku ambil cuti hampir seminggu untuk hadirkan diri ke majlis ni..Walaupun singkat tapi cukup buat aku mengimbas kembali zaman2 perkenalan mereka berdua dan itu sudah cukup membuat kami tergelak..

Owh hampir terlupa pula kali ni aku datang rumah pengantin merangkap pengapit sekali..perkara paling kelakar bila kawan kitorang yang juga pengapit lelaki pakai samping terlalu tinggi..ni sebab kelam kabut mau bersiap punya pasal la..ni ada beberapa gambar yang sempat diambil sepanjang berada 5 hari di sana..

Menunggu panggilan pulau..sebelum diijab-kabulkan Ain with Nadia n Fana

the nervous moment..tunggu akad nikah dilafazkan..me with the bride n my bff, Fana

caption should be..bunga sepa yang cantik??? with nadia, ratu sehari-Ain n me :)

Selamat dah jadi wife orang..hilang neves so..leh la pose byk2..

yipee...Nasi Kandar Line Clear jadi pilihan hati

erm...laparnya

heading to Penang International Aiport..bye Penang

ni la tempat aku tidur selepas berjaya lari dari rumah pengantin..thanks Nadia utk free accomodation at Teluk Dumbar

Haruslah pose ngan Keta Sinar Harian..mana ada kat Sabah ni :)

the owner of this company's car- Nadia

Coin bag yang sempat dibeli di Feringghi Nite Market

Short trip to Tarakan (East Kalimantan)

Nilah short trip yang paling sekejap pernah aku ikut sepanjang aku keja ni..walaupun pegi luar negara tapi bleh balik day trip. Hanya 1 jam 20 minit penerbangan kami sudah sampai ke Kota Tarakan.

Perjalanan dari Kota Kinabalu ke Tarakan ni kalo ikut flight sekejap jak suda smpi..pejam celik pejam celik sampai suda..mau pejam mata pun nda sempat tup tup sampai di Kota Tarakan.

Thanks 2 MASwings yg membawa aku terbang ke kota itu..first flight pula tu..biarpun sekejap tp aku dapat juga jejak kaki ke situ..shopping??urm..memang xda la sebab kmi nda sempat pun mau ronda2 bandar Tarakan..

Bertolak dari KK seawal 8pagi pada 11 Januari lalu, rombongan kami tiba di Tarakan dlm jam 9 lebih..dlm rombongan ni ada lebih kurang 20 org la..ni sebenarnya bukan penerbangan sulung pun..ni hanya la penerbangan percubaan or test flight..

Dengan menaiki ATR72-500  aircraft, kami akhirnya selamat tiba di kota itu..sampai2 jak di Juwata International Airport Tarakan..rombongan MASwings diberikan sedikit briefing oleh officers airport n wakil mayor Tarakan..

Ni bukan pelancaran new route ke apa..ni hanyalah test flight jak sebab tu sekejap..so mau cerita panjang lebar pun susah kan..just share a few photos buat tatapan :)

pose before return to KK at Juwata International Airport Tarakan

During arrival..kedatangan kami dialu-alukan oleh pegawai airpot Tarakan..delegasi ni diketuai oleh Datuk Captain Nawawi Awang

:: Obedient Wives Club ::

among the wedding couple celebrated by the Sabah OWC on Feb 5

Maryamul Azra Bacho & Mohd Abqari Jafar

It was not hardly surprising that Maryamul Azra Bacho had butterflies in her tummy and going through the motion was not extraordinary by any standard.

It was her wedding day.

But hat made the beautiful 18-year-old different and even more nervous was the fact that she was going to meet her husband-to-be in the flesh for the first time.

“We have never met each other, we never dated and we do not know of each other until the day we went through the marriage ritual. That was when I saw him for the first time,” said Maryamul, looking lovingly at her dashingly handsome husband, Mohd Abqari Jafar, 21, yesterday.

It was an arranged marriage for the young couple.

“I am pleased and I accept him as he is. He is my parents’ choice and I believe that they have made the best choice for me and I will take this as my fate,” said Maryamul from Sandakan.

The couple tied the knot on January 24.

“I did feel a little bit awkward initially but I calmed myself down and proceeded with the wedding,” she said when met at the mass wedding reception organised jointly by the Sabah Obedient Wives Club and Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd and TVRSA at Sembulan here.

Maryamul said it was her duty, as the eldest child of three siblings, to obey her parents’ wish as to set good examples for the younger ones.

“When they told me that I was to be wedded, I did not refuse. As a child, I should not be rude to my parents. I am proud to make my parents happy … that is why I accepted what they have planned for me, so I have no problem marrying someone I have never met before. I believe they chose him because he is a good man who will be able to protect and guide me in life faithfully and religiously,” said the blushing bride.

Mohd Abqari, a businessman from Putatan, too felt the awkwardness of communicating with Maryamul for the first time, but after a while, as he learns more about his wife, he knows that they will get along well as a married couple.

“It has been almost two weeks for us living under the same roof. Since we have never met before, it will take some time to get close to one another, but we will try to make the marriage work. I believe having our parents’ blessings will help us to lead a happy life together as husband and wife,” he said.

And, if, along the way, were they to find any hiccup between them, they will simply learn to accept and make compromises, as all ups and downs are simply part of being married.
Both Mohd Abqari and Maryamul were among nine celebrant couples at the mass wedding reception.

It was their first marriage for most couples, except for Mohd Amirul Muttaqin Afendi, 22, who took the hands of Zahidah Muhasim, 21, in marriage, as his second wife.

Mohd Amirul Muttaqin Afendi & Zahidah Muhasin 

Sarawakian Mohd Amirul was slightly lucky as he had a glimpse of his future bride, Zahidah Muhasin, a 21-year-old lass from Ranau, from photographs sent to him.

“She was my parents’ choice. They showed me pictures of her and we met only once, which was two weeks before we underwent the marriage ceremony at the Sabah Islamic Religious Council’s office here on Feb 3,” he said.

Asked of his first wife’s thoughts about him marrying another, Mohd Amirul replied, “She accepts polygamy. In fact, we will all be living in the same house after this.”

Mohd Amirul married his first wife who is from Perak in 2010.

He disclosed that his parents had arranged for the marriage in November last year and as he learned more about his new bride, Mohd Amirul became more eager and looked forward to the big day.

“While people may think that polygamy is hard, I will work to make my wives happy,” he said.

Carrying on with the family business of selling the famous ‘Kek Lapis Sarawak’, Mohd Amirul said he would be fair to both wives and would not neglect either one.

His parents are attached to Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, a company which founded the Obedient Wives Club. The family moved from Sarawak to Sabah five years ago.

“Honestly, I do not know how the wedding planning came along, for all I knew was that they had found a bride for me and I obeyed their wish. I accept the marriage with open arms.

“I have no intention of refusing this arranged marriage as I believe something good may come out of it. Luckily, my first wife is a very understanding person and allows me to marry another woman,” he said. 

As for Zahidah, a kindergarten teacher, she is all ready for what the future holds for her.

“Although I went through an arranged marriage, I believe we will fall in love with each other after getting hitched as there is no restriction to the feelings and we have made it legal in the eyes of the religion.

“Being in a polygamous marriage will not affect me or my life. Although I have to share my husband with another woman, it is alright because I have faith in him and he will play his role as a husband and carry out his responsibilities fairly,” said Zahidah, graciously looking at her husband with a happy smile.

The young couple expressed agreement that polygamy is not wrong but contended that it needs greater understanding between all those involved to ensure the marriage to work.

Zahidah is one good example as she described the beauty of living under one roof with her husband’s first wife.

“Polygamy is not bad, for as long as it is done the right way. One will have to be sincerely truthful to her partner before he takes another wife. The husband, himself, must also accept the fact that he has to be fair and if he has the means to do it, why not?

“As for me, to know each other’s character is something that I look forward to. It is all about accepting one other, not just our beauty, but also our flaws. I have no regret with my decision,” she said.

The OWC teaches women to be submissive to their husband’s needs and promotes polygamy to refrain men from committing adultery.

“I am thankful to the club for teaching me the true value of being married and my role as a wife,” said Zahidah who underwent OWC’s training sessions for newlyweds recently.

:: New Year Babies ::

Published on The Borneo Post-Monday 2, 2012

Welcoming the first baby on the first day of the new year are a few things which anyone can only hope for and dream of, and Allen Joe was no different.

But Joe, 27, and his wife, Margareth Suele, 28, from Penampang could turn The Incredible Hulk even greener with envy when they were accorded with the gift of both after they were informed by the doctor that they might welcome their first baby ‘a bit earlier than the actual due date’.

Their new member of  the family was among 21 babies born at the Women and Children’s Hospital Likas, Papar and Kota Belud hospitals on New Year day.

Suele said her due date was supposedly February 19 and to deliver the baby a month and a half earlier was something unexpected.

“We never expected our baby boy to be a new year baby. It is such a right time to celebrate New Year with a new addition to the family. He is our first child and we are very happy when his birth coincides with the first day of 2012.

“Thank God, he was delivered through normal delivery at 2.05am. I first thought that I would have to undergo a caeserian. Even though the baby was born prematurely, he is healthy like any other baby. His weight was a mere 1.85 kilogrammes.  His name is Ather Mcflynn,” she said when met at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas yesterday.

Joe, who works as a medical assistant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said it felt really great to welcome the new year with an additional new member to the family and he expressed hope that with such a good start to the new year, it will be a great year for his family.

Sharing the same happiness were Meynitha Aburah, 27, and Iron Franciska, 26, from Tuaran.

Aburah said she was glad when told that her due date was on January 1 and she could not contain her excitement with her healthy second bundle of joy who came to this world at 3.36am and weighed at 3.55 kilograms.

She admitted that she had never planned to deliver a baby on the first day of 2012 unless she had to undergo a caeserian procedure.

“To give birth to a baby on the first day of January is easy to remember as it is a New Year day,” she said gleefully.

Meanwhile, the due date for the fifth child of Boon Tan Ai Li, 31, was January 3 but her baby was destined to come out two days earlier.

She had not expected to have a New Year baby but however admitted to having prepared for any eventuality.

“It is based on my past experience after having delivered four children. I must prepare for the necessary because the birth could be earlier or later than the actual due date.

“I gave birth at 9.10am and her weight is 2.70 kilogrammes. I am still thinking of the best name for my second daughter in our family. Three of my children are boys,” said Tan of Kepayan Ridge.

Allen Joe n Margareth Suele from Penampang cuddling their first baby

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/02/the-joys-of-having-new-year-babies/#ixzz1iJAn9bKW