冀鼓励更多人当义工
二零零八年四月六日 晚上十一时三十五分
（吉隆坡6日讯）妇女、家庭与社会发展部长拿督黄燕燕指出，义工将被列为该部非常重要的方向和指南，她将极力把“义工”发展成为一个有组织性的团体。
她表示，她将与资深义工分析及研究提供义工培训，不论小孩、青少年、中年到乐龄人士都可以是义工，以及研究如何把义工发展成为一个组织性的团体。
她透露，这包括可能提供义工每月250令吉的津贴及基本的培训。她今早为美门残障关怀基金会主办的“2008阳光天使运动”主持推介礼致词时，这么说。
黄燕燕说，妇女、家庭与社会发展部涉及层面甚广，而且必须要有充满爱心积极的领导层，带动全国的关怀运动，因此她将于4月尾召集该部高级官员参与3天2夜的自我培训与激励营，为该部制定新的方向。
她说，关怀社会运动，人人有责，应不分种族、宗教、背景，在自己能力范围内，帮助真正有需要的人士。
目前妇女、家庭与社会发展部70％的人力资源和款项是运用在福利部分。
她表示，由于该部涉及层面广泛，这导致她肩膀的担子重了，无论如何竟然被赋予她这个重担，她就一定要去做，并且把他视为一个挑战和发挥的舞台。
出席者今日活动还包括黄燕燕的丈夫拿督郑子舒医生、美门残障关怀基金会（Beautiful Gate）总干事谢秀贞、Summit USJ高峰广场运作部高级经理苏文潮、该广场广告与宣传部经理辛尉瑗等等。
照顾人民福利 全天候无时限
妇女、家庭与社会发展部长拿督黄燕燕强调照顾人民的福利是24小时的工作，没有时间限制，一旦突发事情会即刻给予帮助。
这是她于今早为美门残障关怀基金会主办的“2008阳光天使运动”主持推介礼致词时，针对某英文报今日刊登有关浮罗交怡武吉玛鲁于去年2月20日发生火灾，约300户住家被烧毁，其中共有140户家庭受到影响，没有栖身之所，迄今仍暂住在救灾中心的新闻，发表谈话。
她说，浮罗交怡于一年前有百多家屋子被大火侵袭，州政府已答应重建，而中央政府也已批了拨款，可是现在也不懂发生什么问题，至今未获得解决。她已今早指示官员调查有关详情，一定要解决这个问题。
她说，虽然今天是周日，但是该部援助是24小时的工作，没有时间限制，不是说早上8时上班至下午5时下班后就没有事情。
黄燕燕与谢秀贞为“2008阳光天使运动”主持推介礼。
美门艺术团所呈献的一段精彩舞蹈表演。
摘自：http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2008/04/06/160.html
By KELVIN GOH WONGMALAYSIA'S first and only magazine exclusively for the disabled community was launched at the 1 Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya recently.
The first cross-disability life-style magazine, Challenges, was published with the needs and interests of the country's disabled population.
One big step for the disabled: Chen (second from left) posing with representitives from various NGOs at the lanuch of the magazine.
Challenges founder and editor Mary Chen said the magazine was conceptualised to promote public awareness and connect all parties involved in disability.
“The main aim of the magazine is to create an environment of collaborative networks and activities to promote independence and proactive integration of Malaysians with disabilities within their communities,” said Chen.
She added that being disabled themselves, the magazine’s writers would be able to provide the public with first-person insight into how people with disabilities find solutions to living a more independent life.
“Our mission is to promote a concept of a ‘parallel lifestyle’ for people with disabilities in their communities and believe that they have the right to live a full and enriching life,” said Chen.
Besides highlighting the life-styles of the disabled, Challenges also provide people with disabilities a career choice in journalism and production.
“Our team of writers have attended a journalism workshop and are now full-fledged writers for the magazine.
Read on: Residents of the Beautiful Gate Foundation reading the inaugural issue of 'Challenges'.
“We hope there will be more of such success stories in the future,” she said.
Also at the launching were representatives from various non-governmental organisations like Beautiful Gate Foundation, Deaf Club Majudiri Y, Dignity and Services Bhd, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Malaysian Association for the Blind.
Source : The Star
SUBANG JAYA: Program-mes and activities to help the public understand the special needs of the disabled are crucial.
A couple from the Beautiful Gate Performing Arts Troupe at the launching of the ‘Be An Angel’ campaign yesterday. — NST picture by Aswadi AliasWomen, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said her ministry would assist in such efforts.
She said this after launching the "Be An Angel" Campaign 2008 at Summit Shopping Complex in Subang USJ yesterday.
The fourth annual campaign was organised by Beautiful Gate Foundation For the Disabled.
It is aimed at encouraging more effective and meaningful participation between the able-bodied and the disabled.
The foundation's executive director, Sia Siew Chin, said the campaign consisted of three programmes, namely the Angels Training Camp, Angels at Work and Angels Initiation Ceremony.
The camp will be held at the Seminary Theology Malaysia Training Centre in Seremban for three days from May 17.
It is open to the public for a minimum donation of RM100.
Sia said that after completion of the camp, participants would be encouraged to commit at least 30 hours of community service within a six-month period at Beautiful Gate centres.
Sia said the grand finale would be held in December in conjunction with International Day for the Disabled which falls on Dec 3.
For registration forms send an email to bgcentre@yahoo.com or call 03-78736579.
More information can also be obtained via http://beautifulgate.mydiip.net.
On another matter, Sia said the foundation was disappointed after it recently discovered that some irresponsible parties, claiming to be representatives of the Beautiful Gate Foundation, were collecting door-to-door donations.
"We hope the public will not fall victim to this scam as we have never held door-to-door or street donations.
"Whenever we set up stalls to raise funds, we ensure that the person who manages the stall must be a disabled trainee from the foundation."
Source : http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2206109/Article/index_html
Chinese radio station AI FM and CIMB have paved the way for the disabled to become deejays.
By SHOBA MANOOne of the biggest challenges facing the disabled is their integration into society.
As Thomas Yeoh, one of the 12 disabled students who have completed a speech training course at the Voice Academy in Kuala Lumpur, says, “People sometimes donate money, wheelchairs and hearing aids, but what we really need are jobs.
Loving work: Pua Ghin Chu, 25, (centre) Low Mee Li, 40 and Yeoh Kee Soon, 45, (left) work as deejays at AI FM.
“Nobody wants to live off charity the rest of his life. Holding a job gives us a sense of pride, self-worth and purpose,” says the 45-year-old, who has been wheelchair-bound for the last two years because of muscular dystrophy.
“I worked as a draughtsman until I became confined to a wheelchair. So now I have to learn other skills to obtain a job that I can do in spite of my disability,” says Yeoh, who along with course mates Ivy Pua Ghin Chu, Low Mee Li, 32, and BGF director Sia Siew Chin, 46, have been offered stints as deejays with RTM’s Chinese radio station AI FM.
Pua, a care and employment co-ordinator at Beautiful Gates Foundation for the Disabled (BGF) in Petaling Jaya, says the speech training course was conducted in Mandarin and focused on pronunciation and how to use voice more effectively.
Pua became disabled at 16, after surgery to remove a blood clot from her spine.
“Most physical disabilities do not affect a person’s mental faculties. Yet, a high percentage of the disabled are uneducated due to society’s poor acceptance of them, especially in schools.
“The infrastructure in schools is also not disabled-friendly. Moreover, many teachers and students don’t understand the difficulties faced by the disabled or don’t treat them with respect, which is why a large number drop out. The more educated members of the disabled community are usually those who became disabled later in life, after having obtained their tertiary education,” Pua points out.
Pua and her three compatriots will helm a programme for the disabled in April, thanks to an initiative by CIMB Bank Berhad, which sponsored their course and approached AI FM to broach the idea.
Undergoing voice training.
They recently hosted two Chinese New Year 2008 Specials on NTV7’s Chinese language programme called Finding Angels.
“The bank doesn’t just hand over sponsorship money, but believes in working with its beneficiaries to obtain the expected results,’’ says CIMB head of Community Link and CIMB Elements, Johnny Yong.
“This involves a lot of time and commitment. For instance, we had to convince the Voice Academy to enrol disabled students. We also spent a lot of time encouraging the disabled to take the course.”
According to AI FM programme manager, Ng Leng Leng, 40, the station pondered over the idea of disabled deejays after being approached by the bank.
“It’s the first time we are engaging disabled deejays. When I attended the graduation ceremony at Voice Academy, I heard Sia saying she wanted the public to know how the disabled felt, and not what the public believed they felt.
“Sia also said the disabled are victims of social prejudice rather than their disabilities. I was so moved by what she had said that I decided to have a radio programme by the disabled, for the disabled,” recalls Ng.
The programme format will include sharing diary entries and daily experiences. The disabled will be encouraged to submit short stories within 100 words. The winning entry will be read on air and receive a prize sponsored by CIMB.
“We will also discuss some basic dos and don’ts that the able-bodied can observe when interacting with the disabled. For example, one should not immediately lift a disabled person who has fallen down,’’ says Thomas.
“He should first squat and ask if the fallen person is hurt and what help he requires. Be sensitive to the type of disability when attempting to help the person. Don’t force a person with cerebral palsy to hold a pen, because he is not able to do so. We will also discuss the proper way to push a wheelchair, especially when going up an escalator or down a steep ramp,” says Thomas.
Ng says the station is excited about the show but notes that the facilities in their own building are not disabled-friendly.
“We have to carry the disabled deejays over one flight of stairs to the broadcasting room, which does not comfortably accommodate wheelchairs. The deejays are also not able to reach all the switches and still need able-bodied people to help them with the console. These are real-life problems, which the disabled can easily overcome if the infrastructure is built to suit them,” she says.
Ng thinks it’s a shame the disabled are being deprived of jobs they can quite easily do simply because of infrastructural problems. She hopes other companies, too, will think about the issue and consider providing employment opportunities for the disabled.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/3/1/lifeliving/20236908&sec=lifeliving
(from left) Datin Seri Wendy Ong, wife of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, Wanita MCA committee members Datin Rosalind Lee, and Datuk Kian Sit Har dancing with members of the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled in Petaling Jaya on Monday.
Twenty-seven of the residents received Wanita MCAsponsored wheelchairs.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/2/6/central/20249729&sec=central
黄燕燕与谢秀贞为“2008阳光天使运动”主持推介礼。
美门艺术团所呈献的一段精彩舞蹈表演。
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