The three protests by Peter Tan (Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities), Assoc Prof Dr. Tium Linga Ta (Society for the Orthopaedically Disabled) and Bathmavathi Krishnan (Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association) in the Letters’ Page in the New Straits Times today represents not only the views of the disabled community but all decent and right-thinking Malaysians.
As Peter Tan wrote:
AS a wheelchair user for the last 23 years, I am absolutely upset with Jerai member of parliament Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin for telling fellow-MP Karpal Singh that the latter’s use of a wheelchair is a punishment from God (“Kar-pal: Lawyer wrote part of judgment for civil suit” — NST, Oct 23).
Badruddin’s remark is an affront to all wheelchair users, implying that our condition is a punishment and that we are all sinners.
I have been using a wheelchair long enough to have experienced many times such drivel from holier-than-thou people. People must be educated that being disabled is one of the things that can happen to anybody. People can become disabled. People can become afflicted with diseases. It is part of life.
Perhaps Badruddin seldom meets wheelchair users. As an MP, he should turun padang and meet his electorate to realise that they include disabled people, some of whom are wheelchair users.
He should be working towards empowering disabled people instead of insulting us. After all, he was elected to serve the people and not otherwise.
Although Badruddin is no stranger to uncouth statements, he must be condemned in the strongest possible terms for his latest insensitive, ignorant, deplorable, despicable and abhorrent remark, insulting not only Karpal, the disabled community (OKU) but the august Parliament in bringing it to new depths of public shame.
If Badruddin refuses to retract his insensitive, offensive and derogatory remark, trespassing the bounds of common decency, there should be a nation-wide condemnation which should also demand that Barisan Nasional MPs dissociate themselves from Badruddin’s despicable statement.
This guy real biadap. Taking a cheap shot.
Retraction of an insensitive remark ? Since when has the racist MP for Jerai retracted anything ? Since when has he apologised for telling the non-Malays to go back to their ancestral lands or for making sexist remarks on women ?
The guy is so uncouth, he makes almost everybody puke, but then Sleepy Head is never in the country most of the time to reprimand him. In the rare occasions where Sleepy Head is in town, he would be sleeping on the job anyway.
[deleted]
He is his mother’s punishment from God.
From a lowerly upbringing family and minimal acedemic exposure, working his way up there with the right connection and network, this guy is so rich that he can ‘buy’ anything from anything.
A very successful individual that rides on the opportunity of NEP those days. Burning desire to become ‘Datuk’ one day have driven him all the way to the top.
However, having to missed out on the fundamental values during the essential years of his childhood, please don’t expect him to change.
You should see his childrens … almost duplicated with the same values that he carries today.
As said, this guy is far to rich now … just like Zak ..
Leave them alone and let them die standing with what they believe in. It’s the nature torture to those who have outlived their beliefs and trying to be god in their own terms.
Ah, Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin. Wuz wondering where he’s been hiding. Knew he would emerge sometime soon to once again show his uncouthness and insensivity. Like using words such as “p.k. m.k” in the August House as reported in the Hansard and insulting and belittling the handicapped.
Such a person who was once a “Speaker” himself and also a self-proclaimed “religious” person.
Thought he would have learnt something from his compatriots from Jasin and Kinabatangan, you know, of the “leak” case notoriety. But sadly, he’s not capable of better things. He’s vocabulary is quite limited to vulgarity and insensivity, perhaps an indication of his upbringing and journey through life. Pity his constituents thinks he’s the best person to represent them. And pity the PM thinks so highly of him. But when you have to choose from a cesspool…..
After winning the GE, he lost track how many disabled people voting for him..yet he still insult the disabled as a punishment from above..what a disgusting animal..i wonder how the people in Jerai judge him..curse his grandchildren all disabled..im not pity of him if someday he knock down by car..
BN has lost touch with the pulse of the nation. Their MPs have lost their souls due to 50 years of rule. As RPK said, They think even God cannot sink UMNO.
They make fun of women and now the disabled. If only they know that their own souls are deformed and disabled – fit for hell.
This UMNO MP also used the work “puki mak” in the Dewan and got away with it. Imagine if an Opposition member had used the same word. All the TV channels would have played it every 15 minutes to discredit the member.
This guy insults all Malaysians. The Indians, Chinese and the Malays. The Malays I have lived and served with do not talk like this ignoramus. They would cringe. Keep on insulting, the longer the better, until the elections………..then we will see.
It’s really shameful of this guy to make such insulting remarks on a disabled person.This chap is already notorious for his uncouth behaviour and frequent racist utterrances both in the august Parliament and during his party general assemblies.He belongs to the category of the two ‘bocor’ monkeys.No wonder everybody is asking the biggest Malay political party if they were short of qualified candidates in the last GE.Betul,betul malu.
I am utterly sickened by the tirade and deleterious spewed forth from the mouths of these imbeciles. They certainly will not get my vote come this GE. Such recalcitrants are incorrigible and their warped-minds will be their downfall, lest they sincerely repent.
That Jerai M.P ‘twit’ suffers from acute imbecile, less-developed brain syndrome and should take bananas for all his meals!
People like him take God’s name in vain, as an explaination for every conceivable thing that happens in the world. The truth is he can’t think deeply or far enough to analyse the reason for events, and detach themselves from the real world by place their brains (or lack of) at the control button of…..God lah, what else could it be lah?
This is one of the reasons why the parliament sessions cannot be telecast live. Full of half past-6 BN MPs talking without using their brains. And the truancy rate among BN MPs is that damn high too.
Sad to see 92% of monkeys representing only 64% of voters inside the Parliament. Bolehland oh Bolehland…
Ah! it must be the wise one who said it long..long ago ‘Satan is preaching scriptures.’
1. YB LKS, I think we have said enough here. Now we need to know what we can do to ensure that pariah pays. It is high time we do something, no point talking anymore. Tell us what can we do, please.
Scum of the earth, that’s what he is, period.
good, goood….i just love the fella
while the PM is patching up the losses in the politics and UMNO MP like him screw up the things again.
because of him, jasin and kinabatangan guy gave me stronger reason why i should get away from voting the BN. we need more UMNO guys like him, full of vulgar, idiotic, stupidity, cheap guy and etc. this will gave more headache to our dear sleepy PM and DPM. DPM will probably said “Shit! that’s all we have in the UMNO?”
where is the rest of the UMNO guys? not man enough to shout vulgar like him? or still inside the tempurung or infected with sleeping disease?
UMNO leadership has to use less-educated and unsophisticated people like that to be MPs. More educated people would be too dangerous as they would question and challenge the leadership. This is a classic vicious circle. Mediocre people promote more mediocre people and in the end the top leaders would just be morons.
apa nak kata lagi…
true enough, we have qualified clowns in parliment. minus DAP/PKR.
Even in public most people would think TWICE before uttering such comments, what more in Parliament? Or am I referring to the wrong country in this case?
Is there anything to post on Youtube – That way, we can all see him for what they have voted for. I certainly did not vote for such a fool and one would be foolish to vote for him. But wait, we might have to create a investigative team to determine if that video and the hansard is real…..and we might have to find the person who video and recorded that conversation so that UNMO can hang that person!!! Now where is that witness protection bill like the one we saw in that “LAW & ORDER” telly series ???? I am sure it was passed that the US congress the other month….
People who makes such insensitive remarks is more ‘cacat’ up in the head?
Some of you guys gotta put your money where your mouth is! I’m sorry to have to say that. How many here have contributed money towards the purchase of a wheel chair for the disabled. Some years ago I contributed RM1,000.00 towards the purchase of a wheel chair and have it donated.
I believe it was also tax deductible.
This guy is coward……he only picks on the disabled and powerless!
“The guy is so uncouth, he makes almost everybody puke, but then Sleepy Head is never in the country most of the time to reprimand him.” – Godfather
Looky here … pot calling the kettle black! :)
Dude, for someone who mixed religion with politics and insulted Islam Hadhari, maybe you ought to look at who else is also ‘uncouth’ as well.
Parliment is a zoo and BN has the largest number of monkeys in it. It is unbelieveable how people can still vote for a non relevant party as far as the people are concerned. Don’t they realise that BN only work for their own pockets!
“We are not in the business of cheating the people.” Imam of Islam Hadhari.
Man, this Imam isn’t better than the ape from Jerai.
Malaysian have not been voting for BN for the last two GE as most of them awaken by their truth experiences and lost of confidence. It’s the BN who voted for their own victories all along with ‘phantoms voters’, government employees voting, mailing votes and also ‘immigrant’s votes’. Even the blind would have see these acts.
We all talked about the Ketuanan and yet most of them are roots from our neighboring country that are leading their rights (representing the Ketuanan). Our local and original Ketuanan are such a simple people that only be contented with the owning of a house (any form) and materialistic assets will keep them ‘quiet’ and well behave.
Why do you think Government build so many mosques every where ?
So that those Ketuanan can keep practicing their beliefs daily according to teaching and relax their souls from being very aggressive towards country’s matter. Also every Friday’s preaching, there are enough element of ‘political speeches’ to indulged their mindset against other races or BA activities.
It’s killing two birds with one stone.
Today is Friday. Afterwards, attend the Friday’s prayer and you can see that the sharing of today words will definitely houses the coming GE issue and also reminding Muslim about the greatness of BN so far like building mosques for Muslim brothers and keep the faith as the only true religion representing this country.
Last week, the sharing on our ‘space tour’ was a true ‘dressed up’ and everyone talk about this after prayer. Of course, without BN, this dream will never come true ….. ha..ha..
Dear Peter Tan,
My advice is to ignore those imbeciles. This guy together with bung Mokhtar are of the same breed. In fact almost all BN reps are of the same stock. they talk thru’ their arse holes(forgive me for such rude language which is only appropriatefor the said MPs) and are not fit to sit in parliament.
I wish to stress those kind of so called MPs would not be elected in the first place in a developed nation like Singapore or Australia. No standard! Maybe they could work in the parliament as mandore or janitors at best.
Don’t take those remarks to heart. It could only come from the mouths of ‘kurang ajar’.
Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin is an OKA (Orang Kurang Ajar) + OB (Orang Biadap).
He is the perfect candidate for organ donation because he is brain dead now.
He is definitely not setting a good example to the younger generation with this sort of statements, and his Datukship should be taken away as punishment.
Old Observer
I believe this is a very serious issue.
How can a politician say something like this to his people, when it is because of the people, he has a job?
I remember that there was a news long time ago. There was a politician that proposed an idea to condemn all the AIDS patients and other incurables patients in an island.
These kind of politicians are one of the kind. It makes me sick. Until this day, it still does.
The idea of putting away sick people out of touch with the outside world truly sickens me because they are not like prisoners and should not be treated as such.
How can the sick be ill-treated again when they need us to comfort them the most at the hour of their death? The final moments are the most important moments of theirs and our life.
When I look at other country like the US, they had a place for families who have family members who have AIDS to place a poster of their creation to create awareness. They believe in the phrase “Silence is death”. At the same time, they mourn for their lost as well as for others.
Here on the other hand, we have some people who dare to say things like, “Hey, it’s your punishment”, when they themselves are spoiled to the core and have never had feelings towards the unfortunate.
Our society is judged by how we treat the disadvantaged or unfortunate fairly with compassion.
If this guy represents the general mentality of the people, then our society is very sick.
This ‘kurang ajar’ must apologise for his stupid remarks against the disabled.If he fails to do so,let us expose this sub-standard ‘ahli parlimen’ to the whole country and also the whole world.Obviously this is a typical example of a selfish and self serving political opportunist.Do you think this rubbish really cares for the people?What he is after is wealth and cheap fame.It will spell doom on the nation if such ‘kurang ajar’ dominate the ruling class.
“Dear Peter Tan,
My advice is to ignore those imbeciles. This guy together with bung Mokhtar are of the same breed. In fact almost all BN reps are of the same stock. they talk thru’ their arse holes(forgive me for such rude language which is only appropriatefor the said MPs) and are not fit to sit in parliament.
I wish to stress those kind of so called MPs would not be elected in the first place in a developed nation like Singapore or Australia. No standard! Maybe they could work in the parliament as mandore or janitors at best.
Don’t take those remarks to heart. It could only come from the mouths of ‘kurang ajar’.” – grace, October 26th, 2007 at 11: 40.47
____________
In general, I tend to agree with most of what reader “grace” said.
Perhaps the only part which I hold a different view is her first sentence, which is to ignore “those imbeciles”.
On the contrary, I believe it is absolutely necessary for people representing OKU organizations such as Peter Tan to NOT ignore, and to NOT hesitate to write in to the press to voice their views. Being disabled is NOT an automatic punishment from God. Not being disabled does NOT automatically means one has automatic God’s approval.
In the context presented, it appears to be a cheap shot by Badruddin, and therefore, reflects poorly on Badruddin. It is right for the entire nation to point this out clearly and loudly, so that this chap knows it. If we remain silent when wrongs are committed, then, we have just created another new wrong.
Old Observer.
I would like to thank all the commentors for their support in this issue but I also want to clear up some prejudices here. People are disabled not by their conditions but by attitudinal and environmental barriers.
Look at Datuk Badruddin. He is prejudiced against disabled people. That is the attitudinal part. Look around you. The kerbs, the inaccessible buildings, the abuse of accessible parking and toilets, these are all manmade. Those are environmental and attitudinal. Remove all those and people no longer become disabled.
Please don’t view disabled people as meek, powerless, disadvantaged and unfortunate. Like everyone else, we live life the way it is, no “ifs” and no “buts”. See us as one of you. Get to know us better. Whether you realise it or not we are one of you.
Badruddin Amiruldin has such a holier-than-thou and vicious attitude. An insensitive person like him will eventually deserve what he said – may the gods ensure that he or his loved ones be bound to wheelchair one of these days! Let him taste his own venom.
what can we say? ahli parlimen with 3rd world standard..
Some say a society whether civilised or otherwise is gauged from the manner they treat dogs. I’ll say it is gauged by whether imbeciles outnumber the thoughtful and thinking members of Parliment.
From this two standpoints ask ourselves whether this nation is civilised like Norway for example or whether it is more like Zimbabwe or Pakistan??
How come Mr. Sleepy Head there are so many imbeciles in Parliament? Don’t tell me they are there because they are elected by the people for if you say that you are saying also that many people in many constituencies are also imbeciles.
If that is in fact the case then what the Mufti Of Istanbul Dr. Mustapha Shagherachi says “In the entire Muslim World there is no university like Harvard and the contribution of the Muslim World to modern inventions is zero.” must indeed has a grain of truth!!
OK. Let’s put the matter in its context’
“DATUK Badruddin Amiruldin, who on Monday said Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh was wheelchair-bound because “God has punished you” has refused to retract the remark. ”
.
“To all disabled people, if they are hurt by my statement, I am sorry. It was not my intention to insult them. I did not mention the disabled, I only referred to Karpal who is in a wheelchair,” he said when debating Budget 2008.
He blamed the DAP’s Batu Gajah MP, Fong Po Kuan, for the furore, adding “she has twisted my words and said I was referring to the disabled”.
Peter Tan,
No one would be a fool as to treat the disabled this way – and that includes BN MPs. Not even self-appointed jesters such as this Badruddin with his “God has punished you” statement. He knew he was offering himself up to severe criticism as a result of his remark but that did not stop him – and that’s stupidity if not sheer arrogance.
“He who laughs last, laughs best” is a good old-saying. The Chinese say, “Let’s be far-sighted and see”, just wait till one day he is wheelchair-ridden.
All of you talk cock only. That pariah knows fully well we can do nothing. I want to go back to my earlier posting – what can we do? We should see by now from one scandal to another, we are merely reacting and talking among ourselves? Can we see they are arrogantly corrupted, blatantly abusing power and openly shutting down any legitimate investigation? I want to know what our reaction will be if indeed Sdr Anwar goes to jail because of that stupid Lingam tape. Tell me what our spontaneous reaction will be as citizens. Do we still get up in the morning and go to work like nothing has happened? Ya, concern about our GDP and when we are going the buy the next house or car? Or we just stay at home for a day or two. Surely the police can’t come to your house to arrest you for not going to work. Please, all talks and no action is baloney.
By the way I have been to Parliament many times. Sadly, DAP MPs are not the best of examples also. While they bring up valid and pertinent points, I also feel that they are rough and ungentlemanly. They shouted all the time when points could have been put across rationally and coldly. Sometimes I feel that most MPs are indulging fun with least of concern for national issues. You should see the way they shouted at each other, using all the decretory words and then followed by gesture and laughter that make us puke.
“All of you talk cock only. That pariah knows fully well we can do nothing. I want to go back to my earlier posting – what can we do? ” – limkamput
___________
Dear limkamput,
I share your feelings and frustrations. Especially when we see so much injustice, and we cannot do anything to immediately correct them.
The first thing I would advise is to calm down.
The second thing I would ask if you have registered yourself as a voter in this coming GE. If you haven’t, you should do so now.
The third thing I would ask is whether you’ve made up your mind as a voter, who to vote for. As long as it’s not BN, I think you are on the right track.
The 4th thing I would ask is whether you know – outside the INTERNET – any other people close to you who they intend to vote, IF they intend to vote in the coming GE.
Before you talk to those around you, make sure you know the reasons why you don’t want to vote BN in the first place.
Start talking with your family. Your spouse. Your parents. Your children (if they are of voting age). Your relatives.
In this country, we cannot take law and order in our own hands.
Sadly, once a government is voted in, the Rakyat must live with the consequences for the next 5 years. The present BN government controls everything important that needs to be controlled, so that they can pretty much get away with anything and everything, including murder, mega-theft and you name it. We, the Rakyat, cannot do anything, except for that special 1 day, which happens once every 5 years, i.e. Election Day.
On this special day, don’t waste it by not voting.
More importantly, don’t make it harder on the opposition by voting BN. For every vote cast for BN, the Opposition needs TWO votes to outvote that single BN vote. That just makes it harder.
And remember, for every vote you cast for the Opposition, BN needs TWO votes to outdo that, so, you are making it harder for BN by voting the Opposition.
Be wise, be calm. There is still time to GE. Take your time, and touch the lives of those around you. Talk to them calmly, discuss issues rationally, give them plenty of ammunition from this blog. Most people I know are actually quite rational, if they are not attacked personally. They can immediately relate to the poor quality of life. Look around you – is our public transportation system anywhere near Singapore? Which country have bigger natural resource? Why is the police so corrupt? What is Port Klang Free Zone? Who is the bigger corrupter? I’m sad to say it’s the present BN government who has been in power over the last 50 years. When one has been in power for so long, what can we expect? To expect less corruption is irrational I think. In fact, the only rational expectation is to expect worse corruption, if BN continues to win the next election.
Sadly, most of the people in the Real World has given up. Many that I talked to don’t bother to vote. Why? Because the most common reason given is it doesn’t matter. BN will still win.
What do you think?
Old Observer.
“All of you talk cock only.” limkamput.
You are dead right and mind you that includes you too.If you insist you’re not then organise what you say you can do —get everyone to stay home for one or two days and better still get everyone to stop paying taxes!!
Of course everyone is talking cock for how else do you think that this government could have survived till today,even with bigger mandate.
If we’re not talking cock how else do you think Mahathir can easily turn Malaysia’s population to one with Malays (not Malay bumiputra)having more than 50% of her population with Chinese at 26% and Indian at 7% from the position in 1938 (from Ian Morrison’s Malaya’s Postscript) in which the Chinese and Indian population close to 60% and Malay about 40%.Fertility rate and migration cannot explain such a drastic drop.
If we’re not talking cock how else can that mamak be able to do indiscrimate gerrymandering in such a way that in rural areas you can have 1 MP to represent 5000 people whereas in an urban area you have to have 1 MP to represent.
If we’re not talking cock how else can postal votes exist and postal votes are all for BN!!
If we’re not talking cock how else can phantom votes exist and phantom voters can be those who have long gone!
If we’re not talking cock how else could NEP be allowed to have gone on for so long!
If we’re not talking cock, how come you and I are 2nd class citizen.If you think you’re not 2nd class, just look at government employees —far more than 90% of 1 race which means to say non Malays are completely cut off from participating in steering this ship called “Malaysia”.
If we’re not talking cock, how come that mamak can muzzle and gag the press so easily!
If we’re not talking cock how come the 3rd pillar of government The Judiciary can be made again by that mamak to dance to the Executive tone.Read today’s paper wherby Justice Sachs from South Africa said ‘ It is not our job to be popular with government. We stand for the people and constitution.’.
And we can continue adding if you people care to.I am sure we can easily make up a big volume!!
kerp has responded..
http://malaysiancartoons.blogspot.com/2007/10/mr.html
“You should see the way they shouted at each other, using all the decretory words and then followed by gesture and laughter that make us puke.” Limkamput
I believe you meant ‘derogatory’.
Your observation is accurate – but then are those pertaining to similar assemblies in countries practicing democracy. And I’m not referring to just the third world countries. Fist fights are not completely unknown even in the U.S. – the beacon of democracy for the free world! But they are rare.
For those who want to talk cock, go here “http://talkingcock.com/
Undergrad2, thanks, ya, the word is derogatory. Sorry.
Ah Pek, at least i am giving a suggestion to do something, and political parties with networking ability should start the ball rolling. We has sms, don’t we? One more thing, when I suggested doing something, it is meant for political parties. Please don’t turn around and say why don’t I do it. Why don’t YOU do it. It is difficult right? Of course.
(1)Should read “…………………..in rural areas you can have 1 MP to represent 5000 people whereas in an urban area you have to have 1 MP to represent some 80000 people.”
(2)Should read “………………….The Judiciary can be made to dance to the Executive tune.”
limkamput, I think you’ve failed to understand my comments in toto and thereby it is needless for me to respond to a challenge from you.
In any case a far better way of trying to make a difference would be give support to what Haris Ibrahim, a well-known human right advocate in the local scene’ is trying to do.Or come 10th November get to Dataran Merdeka to support what RPK is doing.We’ll have a much better rate of success (if there is any success) and a far greater impact than any suggested by any commenter of blogs simply cos they are organised by people far better known as fighters for the people’s cause.
Badruddin is nothing more than a small sample of what’s really out there. I find the general Malay populace is becoming more uncouth & violent. It is as if the Malays are using people like Badruddin as mentors and gold standards of behavior.
All it took was 20 years of Mahathir-ism to negate more than 1000 years of Malay culture known for its politeness and friendliness. I do hope that the Malay people are proud of their current metamorphosis.
‘All it took was 20 years of Mahathirism to negate more than 1000 years of Malay culture known for its politeness and friendliness.’.bhuvan.govindasamy.
I couldn’t agree with you any less… has destroyed everything that’s decent in this country thro 22 years of excesses of his making.This damage has become so ingrained now that the country has to be run into the ground before it can arise from the ashes of phoenix.
So fellow Malaysian, please brace yourself for more scandals, more corruptions,more mismanagements,more lawlessness until we slide to the state like Zimbabwe,Sierra Leone,Myanmmar,Haiti or any other similar banana republics.
After a teacher explain to her kindergarten class the various type of animals can be found in zoo, she ask “where is the nearest zoo?”. One kid raise her hand, said “Dewan Parliment”
dont worry badruddin will be in wheel chair if not bedridden.his day will come.thats what most of the UMNO politicians are made of…childish.