Long jumper Abdul Latif Romly who won gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and defended his title at the 2020 Tokyo Games has been rewarded by the government for his achievements. – IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star
BEFORE the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Malaysia had never won gold at the Games.
So when three Paralympians managed to land top podium positions, the nation erupted into cheers of jubilation.
Long jumper Abdul Latif Romly (T20, learning disabilities), 100m runner Mohd Ridzuan Puzi (T36, cerebral palsy) and shot putter Ziyad Zolkefli (T20) became instant millionaires after receiving RM1mil and a monthly allowance of RM5,000 each under the government incentive scheme.
This year, Malaysia repeated its three gold medals haul at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. But this time, the gold did not come solely from track and field.
While Abdul Latif managed to defend his title, the other two champions were powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (72kg category) and men’s singles badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou (SU5, impairment in upper body).
Their achievements did not go unnoticed by the government, as under Budget 2022, the National Sports Council (NSC) will receive RM10mil to improve training programmes for persons with disabilities (OKU) and build the OKU Sports League.
Cheah welcomes a sports league for para-athletes: “Badminton players like me need more tournaments to compete as this is where we can gain experience while playing under pressure.
“It is also a way of maintaining our level of play and a gauge of where we stand against our rivals.
“The juniors can surely benefit from such a move as well, while coaches can use such platforms to unearth new talents and develop the junior programme further,” he said.
Another laudable initiative under Budget 2022 is the continuation of the MyRail5 initiative, whereby students and the disabled can enjoy unlimited rides on KTM trains for RM5 a month.
Besides reducing the burden of students and the disabled affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the measure is also seen as encouraging more people to use public transport.
For employers who offer job opportunities to focus groups such as the disabled, the government is providing an incentive of 30% of their monthly wages for the first six months, and 40% of the monthly wages for the subsequent six months for salaries between RM1,200 and RM10,000.
‘Badminton players like me need more tournaments to compete as this is where we can gain experience while playing under pressure,’ said Paralympian men’s singles ace Cheah Liek Hou, who welcomes the proposed OKU Sports League. – Bernama
In addition, the Malaysia Short-Term Employment Programme (MySTEP) will set aside a special 1% quota for the community to enter the workforce.
The Malaysian Spinal Cord Injury Advocacy Association said incentivising employers to hire the disabled is much needed under the current circumstances.
Its president Mohd Rizal Mat Noor said many disabled people had lost their jobs and source of income during the pandemic.
“This will give them the opportunity to rebuild their careers and earning capacity,” he said, adding that this would lead to a wider scope of employment opportunities that will allow more members of the community to acquire work experience.
The effort is complemented with another RM10mil allocation to independent living centres and the government industrial training and rehabilitation centre for the purpose of training and mentoring for the disabled.
Another measure that has won over hearts is that all TV channels, including private ones, will have sign language presenters during their news bulletins to convey information to disabled groups.
Under Budget 2022, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz also announced a RM30mil allocation to make government buildings OKU-friendly and provide more special lanes for the sight-impaired.
The cost of motor vehicle licences for the disabled will also be borne by the government.
Commending the move, Society of Disabled Person Penang president Datuk Teh Lay Kuan said: “It’ll help us greatly, as a disabled-friendly environment is highly important for the mobility of disabled people.
“These buildings give us access to important services, including digital services, banking, food and retail services and welfare assistance.
“Hopefully, the allocation will also be used to create more parking space for the disabled.”
Teh hopes that the monthly allowance of RM450 for disabled workers with an income of RM1,500 and below could be increased, considering that prices of essential items have risen over the years.
Under Budget 2022, the Government will also provide RM50mil to fund the purchase of teaching aids and to improve facilities in special needs schools.
