Thursday November 19, 2009

Mental challenge

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Despite his struggles with schizophrenia, Albert Wang is a model of determination.
SCHIZOPHRENIA is one of the most chronic and disabling mental illnesses. Acute sufferers find it difficult to separate reality from unreal experiences.
Some individuals may have only one psychotic episode, while others may have a number of episodes during their lifetime. Despite this, they are able to lead relatively normal lives during interim periods.
Persons with chronic schizophrenia often do not fully recover normal functioning and may require long-term treatment, with the help of medication, to control their symptoms. Some patients may never be able to function without assistance of one sort or another.
Albert Wang Tew Jit, 52, is an extraordinary individual whom I got to know recently. Albert. who resides in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, has schizophrenia. Although his condition was diagnosed in 1981 in Canada, Albert believes that he has had schizophrenia ever since he was a child.
“I think it all started when I was nine,” said Albert. “It was the day when my mum committed suicide. I found her body hanging on a guava tree in the backyard of our house.
“I was inconsolable back then. I didn’t know why my mum had taken her life.”
The little boy was cared for by his older sister who was in her 20s then. Albert has three brothers and three sisters, one of whom has mental illness. Through his family’s support, Albert went on to finish Form 6 and then studied in a couple of colleges locally. But it wasn’t until he went on to pursue further studies in Canada that he experienced the full-blown symptoms of the disease. Unable to finish his education, Albert returned home. His father, a fishmonger, received him with open arms.
“Even though I felt that I had let him down, he was never angry nor showed his disappointment,” recalled Albert.
However. Albert’s woes were far from over. He suffered a relapse shortly after from not taking his medication. His girlfriend abandoned him after discovering that he had mental illness.
After he was discharged from hospital, Albert took a year’s break, before he returned to work, moving from one job to another.
Despite the setbacks, Albert managed to write his autography, The Colours Of My Mind. Published by Oak Publication, the book was launched three weeks ago.
As he struggled to cope with schizophrenia, Albert developed a personal relationship with God.
“It was God who inspired me to write my book so that the world can know what it is like for someone like me to live with a life-long predicament where there is no cure to date,” said Albert.
Colours Of My Mind pulls no punches. It states things as they are. Although readers may read many things in the life of Albert, the book is a testimony of Albert’s determination and courage.
If you live in Section 52 in Petaling Jaya, you are likely to bump into Albert with his plastic bag of ballpoint pens for sale.
“Occasionally I come across people who chase me away. However, most people are kind and buy my pens, even though they own one,” said Albert with a smile.
“If my mother were alive today, she would be proud of who I am now,” added Albert.
For a copy of Albert’s book which is sold at RM20, please contact him at 016-284 0277.

Thursday November 12, 2009

Easy prey

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The disabled are targeted by criminals on the prowl.
CRIMINALS are coming up with more devious ways to rob unsuspecting victims. What is more troubling is that they have no qualms about targeting the disabled and the elderly.
Even charity-based centres meant to help such people are not spared. Residents of the self-help Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) in Rawang, Selangor, were among the latest victims of a broad daylight robbery.
A couple of men in their late 20s posing as potential donors made an unscheduled visit to the disabled residential home one morning. Upon discovering that there were only three persons in the centre at the time – a woman in a wheelchair, a young man with epilepsy and a foreign female volunteer – they yanked out a machete and demanded money.
The robbers relieved the victims at knife-point of cash and valuables. They then walked out calmly so as not to arouse suspicion. The police arrived soon after they were called. Investigations to nab those responsible for the crime are under way.
“It is regrettable that the handicapped are becoming targets of criminals because we are considered easy prey,” said Francis Siva, president of the ILTC.
Francis, a tetraplegic, was not at the centre when the incident took place. By the time he rushed back, the thieves had long gone. “The disabled (and the elderly) are the most vulnerable to crime and we urge the authorities to prioritise our safety by stepping up measures to protect us,” he added.
Ironically, the president of the ILTC was at a special meeting with the police a couple of weeks earlier to discuss security issues for persons with disabilities.
The gathering which included representatives of the learning disabled. the Deaf and blind, was specially arranged by the Welfare Department in Kuala Lumpur.
The following were some of the main points which were raised with the law enforcement authorities. The blind are especially vulnerable to crime on the streets. Several cases were cited involving so-called “helpful” strangers who offered to help the blind cross the streets.
They either help themselves to the purses, handbags and other personal belongings of their victims right in the streets, or do so after helping them halfway across the street. Whilst the stunned and disoriented victim is left screaming in fear in the middle of the road, the thieves quickly make their disappearance. Cries of help have often fallen on deaf ears.
Massage parlours operated by the blind experience frequent break-ins during the weekends and on holidays. Imposters acting as law enforcement officers present an ID to the blind operators which they can’t verify for authenticity for obvious reasons. They then direct the workers into a room whilst they grab all the valuables and make a run for it.
Blind women are frequent victims of molestations whether it is on the street, in a crowded place or in the passageways of their flats. They find mysterious hands touching their privates. Some of the molestations are repeated regularly, often at the same venue.
Such abuse have occurred so frequently that the blind are terrified to go out of their houses, especially those living alone.
The blind are also frustrated when they are asked to describe their assailants’ identity. They claim that because they are unable to provide such details, their reports are not taken seriously. Report forms given to them to fill up are not in Braille.
The Deaf also face difficulty when dealing with police officers who are not trained in sign language. Hence, they are unable to take down the reports of the Deaf and carry out further investigations. The physically disabled complain that there are no disabled-friendly carparks at police stations. Some of them were asked to park outside the police stations and walk with their crutches all the way to the building.
Here are some of the suggestions made by the disabled groups:
> The crime fighting force should be better educated about the needs of the handicapped.
> Set up special hotlines for the disabled and the elderly so that they can get immediate response when they are in trouble.
> When the police make their rounds in the neighbourhood, they should take a special interest in homes where people with disabilities live, especially those who live alone.

Dog Day Morning

Thursday November 5, 2009

Dog day afternoon

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

CAT’s dog forum proved to be a howling success.
THE Canine Advisory Team (CAT) decided to hold its first-ever dog forum recently. CAT is a committee set up by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to look into animal issues.
As chairman of the group and MBPJ Councillor, I was tasked with leading the organising team.
The purpose of the forum was to bring together pet lovers and people who do not own dogs. This was to help both sides appreciate the role of canines, and try to find solutions to the many problems dogs present to people without canines. The forum was a big success.
We covered a range of issues, from the responsibility of pet owners to pet rights, canine cruelty and abuse, and even animal-assisted therapy.
The fact that people with disabilities and the elderly also participated in the half-day weekend forum turned the occasion into a meaningful one for everybody involved.
I received feedback from some of the participants – all able-bodied – that they were rather surprised to see the disabled and elderly participating at the event.
The sight of wheelchairs and people with white canes (the blind) made them wonder if they had stumbled into a “disabled association’s event.”
One pet lover who did not have any disabled friends, said she had no idea that pets, especially dogs, played a key role in the lives of the handicapped.
One of the chief issues raised at the forum was the request for free dog licences for the disabled and the elderly, from all the local councils in Selangor. The waivers would serve as the local councils’ recognition of the therapeutic role that dogs play in the lives of vulnerable groups.
Someone with a progressive condition like Parkinson’s disease would benefit a great deal by taking his or her dog out for a walk in the park instead of sitting by the television all day.
An unmotivated paralysed accident victim lying in bed would be able to channel his attention on his pet, rather than entertain suicidal thoughts.
Currently, only Shah Alam provides free dog licences for disabled dog owners, whilst the elderly are given 50% off.
A dog owner who is paralysed from the neck down, told me that he lives in fear that the local council might come to his house one day and confiscate his dog because he does not have a licence.
“I’ve been jobless since I became disabled and every sen counts. Besides, I have no one who can go to the local council to get a licence for me,” he added, pointing out that his only pal now is a mongrel.
Two of the speakers at the dog forum were persons with disabilities.
Our CAT team made sure that parking lots nearest to the entrance were reserved for disabled drivers.
The security guards were also instructed to assist the handicapped when they got there.
This was in addition to some of the volunteers who were invited specially to assist the disabled.
All of us came away from the forum, having learnt something new that day. For some, it may have been about animals and our need to respect their rights and co-exist with them. For others, it may have been about how NGOs and local councils function.
And for others still, how a simple and small step of support can go a long way for some special people.

Thursday October 29, 2009

Witching hour

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The celebration of all things spooky kicks off this weekend.
FANS of vampires, werewolves, ghosts and ghouls – and creatures that go bump in the night – will celebrate Halloween this weekend.
Some will be attending costume parties; others will play pranks on their friends or watch horror films at home.
Armed with a really scary horror storybook, Inungkiran Mongijal from Balakong, Selangor, is looking forward to the Halloween weekend. Except that it won’t be an ordinary book for the 48-year-old who hails from Kudat, Sabah.
Inungkiran, who was born blind, works as a proof-reader at the Malaysian Braille Press office in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. She will be turning to a “talking book” for her weekend entertainment.
Talking books are audio materials read by the sighted on CDs or cassettes which the blind use to catch up on their reading.
“Ghost stories used to fascinate my friends and I when we were 10 or 11 and,” said Inungkiran, recalling her childhood days at the St Nicholas Home for the Blind in Penang.
“We used to think that even our school was haunted, following several unexplained happenings,” she added.

Inungkiran remembers a time when she and her roommate were jolted out of their sleep at 3am. They heard strange footsteps on high heels in their dormitory.
“What was eerie was that the ‘ghost’ sounded very much like one of our friend’s mother. ‘She’ even started to speak in soft and hushed tones,” said Inungkiran.
“Some people think that being blind is a nightmare,” said Inungkiran who has a brother and a sister who are also blind. “This is not true. There is nothing to fear about being blind. We are just like anyone else, and wish to have a great time, too.
“Horror movies play an important part in my life. Reading or even ‘watching’ a frightening show heightens my imagination,” added Inungkiran.
Daniel Ahmad Sharani, 33, could not agree more. Daniel suffered a real-life horror experience of his own.
Daniel and his best friend – both 18 at that time – were knocked down by a car. Daniel who was riding pillion became paralysed from the neck down. His buddy died on the spot.
Today, 15 years on, Daniel has put the past behind him.
“Ghosts stories have intrigued me since I was a kid,” said Daniel. “My uncle was a prankster and brilliant storyteller. My cousins and I were fooled by him. We were pre-teens at that time. My uncle promised to make the elusive toyol (a mystical spirit) appear before us.”
After switching off all the lights in the room, they were asked to wipe their faces three times with water from a bowl that contained a “mysterious potion”. When the lights came on again, everyone discovered that their faces were all black, turning each of them into a regular toyol.
“We had a great laugh over that. Movies like Salem’s Lot and Night Of The Living Dead, and the recent local horror flick, Momok are great.
“Horror movies with their shock factor, which I regard as nothing more than pure entertainment, offer great therapy. They help me to forget my problems for a while.
“I don’t believe half of the things that I see in the scary movies. So I am amused when some quarters recently called for the banning of horror films. Just because I enjoy watching scary movies, does not make me a witch or zombie. Besides, it’s great to have a variety of movie genres to choose from. As adults we have a choice. We can decide what we wish to watch and make the right decisions for our kids.
“If people are upset about a particular movie, don’t go to the cinema to watch it or just turn the TV off.
“As for me, I’m planning to spend my weekend catching the Simpson’s Halloween marathon on telly,” Daniel added.
Happy Halloween, everyone!