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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Temple okays wheelchairs in change of heart

Disabled devotees get good news after months of frustration.
sivan_temple_300In a positive development for disabled persons in Petaling Jaya, the Jalan Gasing Sivan temple recently lifted its prohibition of wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
Many of the affected devotees expressed relief when they were given the news that the discriminatory rule at their favourite place of worship had been removed.
The temple’s change of heart came months after it introduced the ruling in a notice posted on its signboard, causing shock and disappointment among devotees who were disabled.
In trying to justify the ban, members of the temple committee gave various excuses, such as that wheelchairs were “dirty” or “unsafe”. They said disabled devotees should pray in the convenience of their homes instead of at the temple.
Using wheelchairs, walking sticks and callipers is the right of people who need them. The temple management has no business dictating to the disabled what they can or cannot do.
This issue, which was first highlighted in Free Malaysia Today more than four months ago, has drawn the attention of various interested parties, including the Petaling Jaya City Council and Suhakam. The
latter was formally asked to investigate the matter by a parent of a young woman who was barred from worshipping at the temple because she was on a wheelchair.
The most incredible response came last week from the Bukit Gasing assemblyman, Rajiv Rishayakaran.
He said the matter involved “many complications” and was unsolvable. He claimed that it was “clearly not” an issue of discrimination against disabled persons.
Such remarks are downright insulting to these disabled devotees, some of whom actually voted for him in the last election. The harsh lesson they have learnt from this ugly episode is to never vote for someone who will not stand up for you if you are on a wheelchair.
Gladly, the temple administration has finally came to its senses. The offensive notice has been removed.
A leader representing the disabled community has since called the temple president to thank and congratulate him for the positive move.
Many are grateful to the 40-odd people on wheelchairs who protested bravely outside the temple grounds, demanding an end to discrimination. It must have been because of them that the ban was lifted.
One of the disabled female devotees had this to say when she heard the good news:
“I can never forget that horrible afternoon when I was told that my wheelchair wasn’t welcome in the temple. My mum was helping to push my wheelchair up the hill when I was stopped by an elderly man from the temple who told us bluntly that wheelchairs were forbidden.
“It was a very sad day for me. For the first time in my life I was made to feel useless and unwanted because of my handicap. I am glad that the temple committee has been educated about who and what we should all care about.”
Another disabled person, who lives in Rawang, said: “I was heartbroken when I heard about what was happening in the PJ temple. I’m extremely happy now to know that the temple has taken away the offending rule about wheelchairs.
“There are more temples which are not wheelchair friendly yet, and I hope they will now follow the Sivan Temple.
“I became permanently paralysed and started using a wheelchair after an accident. I could no longer visit many of the temples because they were not wheelchair friendly.
“Many temple committees were sad about it too. However, they decided to do something positive about the situation by making themselves wheelchair friendly and some have even included accessible restrooms.”

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