On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024, themed “Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future”, SIUMAN highlights significant challenges in Malaysia’s disability rights framework.
Despite ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010, systemic barriers persist, including a lack of constitutional recognition under Article 8(2) and insufficient anti-discrimination protections in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008. These gaps leave many marginalized, as exemplified by limited civic participation and failures in access to justice, such as the case of Deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong.
SIUMAN urges the MADANI administration to address these critical shortcomings by revamping outdated policies, enforcing Parliamentary oversight, and ensuring robust anti-discrimination laws. Transparency and collaboration with civil society are essential to fostering a rights-based framework for inclusion. As the nation reflects on this day, SIUMAN’s call to action highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms to secure a sustainable and inclusive future for Persons with Disabilities.
