LUNDU: Buildings that are accessible for people with disabilities (PwD) in Malaysia need to be given due attention.
Federal Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development views the issue of inadequate facilities for PwD seriously and emphasises the need for action, especially from relevant ministries.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, stated that the issue of non-PwD-friendly buildings is not limited to one location but is prevalent throughout the country.
She mentioned that her ministry has received suggestions to set up a taskforce to inspect buildings that are deemed unfriendly to PwD.
According to her, these suggestions will be taken into consideration, and if deemed appropriate, they will be presented at a higher level.
However, she emphasised that these discussions will be held in other forums, as they do not want to intrude on the jurisdiction of other ministries.
“It is possible that they already have plans in place. This is what we will discuss with other ministries,” she said.
She told reporters this during a press conference after attending the Lundu District Gawai Dayak 2023 programme at Lundu Community Hall yesterday.
In light of this, Nancy, who also serves as the Santubong Member of Parliament shared her participation in the upcoming Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP) in the United States on Monday (June 13).
She stated that they will examine the policies and practises of foreign countries regarding PwD matters.
During the conference, she mentioned that they will listen, study, and follow up on bilateral discussions, statements, or presentations from other countries or foreign ministers.
“Perhaps there are more advanced approaches, and other countries may have more advanced PwD-friendly facilities than us.
“We will strive to strike a better balance with what we can do,” she added.
Also present at the event were Tanjung Datu assemblyman Azizul Annuar Adenan and Opar assemblyman Billy Sujang.
