Much has been said about having better facilities for the disabled but to Mohamad Shaffuan Al Farouqi Md Ali and T. Tarimala, all of that is nothing more than lip service.Like most people, Shaffuan knows that he should never reveal his personal identification number (PIN) of his bank card.
However, unlike most people, he has no choice but to do so.
The Information Technology (IT) analyst from Setapak is wheelchair-bound and depends on his friends and relatives to help him withdraw money from the automated teller machine (ATM).It had worked well so far but recently, his ATM card went missing and RM5,000 was withdrawn from his account.
"I have no choice but to give my friends and relatives my PIN as I can't enter most banks without help because there are no ramps for the disabled. Sometimes I even have to depend on passers-by to help me.
"I know I am not supposed to give my card and PIN to anyone but what choice do I have?" asked the 24-year-old.
Shaffuan said even if they could enter the bank's premises, they still could not reach the ATM slot due to their wheelchairs.
There was, however, a happy ending for Shaffuan as he managed to get back his money after police tracked down the culprit using the closed-circuit camera television (CCTV) footage from the bank. "I was horrified to find out that the culprit was my close friend," he said.
Shaffuan is not the only disabled person who is facing difficulties due to his disability.
T. Tarimala, 47, from Pantai Dalam, was unable to get her disabled worker allowance last year when she was hospitalised after fracturing her legs in a fall.
Tarimala said none of her family members were allowed to withdraw the money from the bank on her behalf.
"Welfare Department officers told me that we can't be represented when claiming the RM300 allowance. This means that if I can't go to the bank myself, the money for that month is forfeited," she said.
Shaffuan and Tarimala's plights were highlighted by the Damai Disabled Persons Association recently in an effort to create greater awareness about the problems faced by the disabled.
Association president V. Murugeswaran said the authorities and banks should make their premises disabled friendly.
"There is already a provision under the building by-laws which ensures equal access to facilities, but it is not being enforced," said Murugeswaran.
"We appeal to the Welfare Department to work out a mechanism to enabled disabled people to get their allowances without having to go to the bank," he added.
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Mohamad Shaffuan Al Farouqi Md Ali has no choice but to give his friends his bank card and personal identification number. |
T. Tarimala was unable to get her disabled worker allowance. |
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