KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita MCA wants to do more than just contribute money to the disabled.
Its chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said yesterday that the wing always looked for ways and means to provide support for all sectors, especially the poor and disabled.
“We do not believe in just giving money because that is short term. This is the second year the wing has participated in giving mobility to the disabled and we want to do more,” she said after presenting a cheque for RM20,000 to Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled for its Project Care “Gift of Life” for the Disabled.
“One of the important empowerment processes is the ability to move freely, and the handicapped must be given as many opportunities as possible to better their lives.
“The public should have greater understanding of this need,” she said.
Lending a hand: Dr Ng (second from left) and other Wanita MCA members joining foundation members (in red) in a sing-along yesterday.
On a separate note, Dr Ng said the wing would start its professional curtain sewing courses next month.
“This is one way to pursue home economy,” she said.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/29/nation/19877177&sec=nation
周美芬轮椅上落泪（吉隆坡22日讯）车祸后的周美芬，因为行动不便而坐在轮椅上，让她感受到残疾人士的不便，而一时感触落泪。
抱伤出席残健一家贺佳节
车祸受伤留院的妇女、家庭与社会发展部政务次长拿汀巴杜卡周美芬今日特地向院方请假，抱伤出席由八打灵北区服务中心所举办的年度活动《迎冬至·庆圣诞·残健一家贺佳节》，并在致词时有感而发，感触落泪，而全场报以掌声以示支持！
“我现在是坐久会痛，站久也会痛，睡久也会痛，是坐也不是、站也不是、睡也不是！但我非常幸运的是，可能几个星期之后，我就能痊愈，并健步如飞，而残疾人士却不能，无论如何，他们还是很坚强，勇敢地争取自己的利益。”
也是八打灵北区国会议员的周美芬是在本月9日因车祸严重受伤后，住院约2周后，今日首次出席公开场合和一班残疾人士，共同庆祝佳节－冬至和圣诞节。
周美芬今早约10时30分左右，准时出现在白沙罗再也的Atria购物中心内举行的《迎冬至·庆圣诞·残健一家贺佳节》的现场。她的出现获得同僚与与会的残疾人士们热烈欢迎。由于右脚盘骨受伤的关系，周美芬今日坐在轮椅由工作人员推着她入场，虽然如此，她还是面带笑容和在场人士一一握手。
周美芬住院多日，今日首次公开露面，面容看起来比较憔悴，也清瘦不少，不过她依然打起精神，和在场的残疾人士一同吃汤圆、派礼物等等。
周美芬在致词时二度感触哽咽、落泪，虽然如此在场人士依然报以热烈掌声。这时，她突然笑着说：“不说了......”仿佛为自己的落泪感到尴尬，无论如何最后她还是坚强地继完成演词。
坐到很不舒服
在节目未开始之前，不少公众人士、残障人士等都借着此机会与周美芬握手、寒暄送温暖并给予鼓励。周美芬中途在助手的协助下，持着拐杖站立，并开玩笑地和在场准备拍照的摄记说：“坐到屁股不舒服，要站立一下！”
较后，她在现场试吃了残障人士所制作的汤圆，还竖起拇指说：“好吃！”她在颁发部份礼物和红包给残疾人士后，便在助理们协助下，离开现场，返回医院。周美芬在现场逗留了约1个半小时左右。
《迎冬至·庆圣诞·残健一家贺佳节》时八打灵北区一年一度举办的活动，主要和残疾人士一同庆祝佳节。今年主办当局一共邀请了4个单位的残疾人士，包括美门残障关怀中心、SS2爱关怀之家、美嘉园残障中心和SS3爱之家。这场活动一共吸引了逾百名的残疾人士参与。
与此同时，主办当局也找了赞助商分别赞助是日的费用、轮椅或日常用品等给一些需要协助的残疾人士。
提呈残疾人法案
妇女、家庭与社会发展部政务次长拿汀巴杜卡周美芬指出，随着该部门较早前在国会提呈“残障人士法案”，希望提供友善环境给残障人士，以便让他们融入社会，对社会做出贡献。
她也促请健全的社会人士不应排斥残疾人士，并应以自然、正常的态度对待他们，以及了解他们的心理障碍，从而建立一个“残健一家”的社会。
受伤疗养的周美芬今日坐在轮椅上出席由八打灵北区服务中心所举办的年度活动《迎冬至·庆圣诞·残健一家贺佳节》时，她受邀上台致词时表示，现在坐在轮椅上的她更能深刻体会到残疾人士的痛苦。
周美芬表示，自己在本月9日发生车祸之后，该部部长在隔日向国会提呈“残疾人士法案”，并目前已通过一读、二读以及下议院。她要恭喜残障人士，因为他们的坚强和勇敢争取，有关法案才能落实。
她更自娱说，自己目前是“暂时性行动不便”，也因这次车祸让她更深刻体会到残疾人士的所需，因此她希望一旦“残障人士法案”的落实，能为残疾人士提供更友善的生活环境，让他们融入社会。
周美芬坐在轮椅上，由助理推着入场，出席八打灵北区的年度活动。
摘自：光华日报．Kwong Wah
By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJFOR the fourth consecutive year, Petaling Jaya MP Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun's office is organising an event to bring the public and the disabled together. It is to celebrate Dongzi and Christmas.
It will be held on Dec 22 on the second floor of the Atria Shopping Complex in Damansara Jaya.
Come one, come all: Wendy Chan (left) and Victor Gu, Chew’s assistant service team leader, at the press conference to announce the event.
The event will feature various activities such as an art competition, Tong Yuen (glutinous rice ball) making competition, lucky draw, Beautiful Gate choir and dance troupe.
Some of the participants will be from the Beautiful Gate Foundation, SS2 Lovely Disabled Home and Taman Mayang Disabled Home.
Organising committee chairman Wendy Chan said there will also free hair cut, eye tests, health checks and mammograms for the disabled at the event.
"From last year's Gift of Life programme, we managed to collect 111 gifts for some disabled friends and since then there has been more applications from needy disabled friends.
"Now we require 54 units of detachable light weight wheelchairs, 10 units of three-wheeled motorcycles, 24 units of motorised wheelchairs, three units of computers and 23 units of medical cushions. These gifts can really help our disabled friends to improve their lives and generate income.
"The public can help acquiring these gifts," she said representing Chew who was unable to make it to the press conference due to her recent accident.
Chan said Chew hoped to make it for the event on Dec 22.
Various sponsors from the community support the event.
Voter's registration will also be open on the event day. There will also be a booth for the registration of the disabled people by Majlis Kebajikan Dan Pembanguan Masyarakat (Mayang).
Those who would like to register for the Tong Yuen competition can call 012-2020998 to register as participation is only limited to 20 people.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/12/21/central/19801032&sec=central
SOME 100 disabled people from the Klang Valley gathered at the Centro Mall in Klang last Sunday for a free health check sponsored by various parties.
Many of them arrived as early as 9am at the event organised by Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled, preparing themselves for blood and urine tests as well as Electrocardiogram (ECG).
The foundation executive director Sia Siew Chin said they appreciated the generous gesture of all the parties involved in making the charity event a success.
This was the third annual event provided for the disabled people who could not afford the health examinations, she said.
Vital check: A volunteer taking blood from Tan Siew Wee from Klang Beautiful Gate during the event at Centro. Looking on are Song (second from right) and Sia (left).
“It is sad to see that many of them do not go for their yearly health checks simply because they cannot afford to pay,” she said after the closing of the event by Kapar MCA division chief Datuk Song Kee Chai.
Sia said a disabled friend had died of cancer and added that he could have survived if he had gone for regular health checks and detected the ailment early.
“Physical health is very important to a disabled person in order for him or her to live independently,” she said.
She hoped that more disabled people would take part in such events in the future.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/12/18/central/19721971&sec=central
IF you have old newspapers, books, clothes, electrical appliances, computer, cans, glass and plastic items, you can get rid of them for a good cause.
The public can contribute to charity by giving away the recyclable items to The Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled.
The foundation’s executive director Sia Siew Chin said the items collected would be sold for cash and the money would be used for the centres’ various charity projects or to finance its daily expenses.
“Selling the recyclables help to generate some income for the centre’s disabled members,” she said.
Members of the public can send the items to the centre at No. 29, SS2/59, Petaling Jaya or call them at 03-78736579 or 03-78758609 or SMS to 019-2198440.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/12/14/central/19747594&sec=central
By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJIT was tough at first, but their determination to be independent motivated them to keep going. Today, the beautiful people of the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled are proudly operating their own market stalls.
After five months of trial-and-error, their four market stalls selling flowers, recycled items, vegetables and newspapers at Jalan SS2/62 in Petaling Jaya are now running smoothly.
Their day starts at 6.30am when they set up the stalls. The location of the four stalls is convenient, just at the beginning of Jalan SS2/62, so that they need not struggle on their wheelchairs to the centre or further side of the market.
According to Beautiful Gate executive director Sia Siew Chin, the home was given two licences to trade five years ago but the location was too far in the middle of the market, making it difficult for the disabled persons to access.
”As a result, we could not operate properly and later did not renew the licences,” Sia said.
Business opportunity: Sia (in red T-shirt) attends to two customers at the recycled items stall.
In 2004, the MPBJ built a RM420,000 barrier-free zone from the location of the Beautiful Gate centre on Jalan SS2/24 to the market area, making accessibility easy for the disabled persons.
The home was granted four licences in August this year but the stalls could only be properly established in the last few weeks.
Sia said the programme was to train more disabled people in business to enable them to achieve independence by earning their own income.
“We take it as a training ground for the disabled people to do business. Right now, we are training the trainees to develop business skills,” she said.
“It is good for them as it helps build self-confidence and later, they would be able to start their own businesses. Helping them to be independent is our long-term objective,” she said.
Here you go: Lai Soo Kong handing over newspapers to customers
While some of the products are for sale at the market, the public can also visit the home in SS2 to place orders for flowers.
Chitra Subramaniam took a flower arrangement course conducted at the home when she joined it in April this year.
Chitra is now creating beautiful floral decorations for sale at the market.
“I am interested in this art and I am glad I learnt this because it helps me to earn some income,” she said.
Damansara Utama assemblyman Datuk Lim Choon Kin said the trading licence created work opportunity for the disabled community.
“The general public in Petaling Jaya can support them by buying their products,” he said.
Lim said this at the launch of the stalls on Dec 6 in conjunction with the International Disabled Day, which was commemorated on Dec 3.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/12/13/central/19687839&sec=central
Hi friends,
It is spring cleaning time again!!
Please donate recyclable items to Beautiful Gate Foundation For the Disabled in support of people with disabilities. We collect old newspaper, books, clothes, electrical items, computers, tins, cans, plastic & etc. Your waste can help in create job opportunities for disabled persons and in the same time reduce the financial burden of Beautiful Gate Foundation.
Remember, YOUR WASTE IS OUR HOPE !!
Please call 03-78736579, 03-78758609, or SMS 019-2198440 for more information.
Please kindly forward to your friends.
Siew Chin
Lending a hand: Dr Ng (second from left) and other Wanita MCA members joining foundation members (in red) in a sing-along yesterday.
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