I attended a meeting at a government department in Putrajaya yesterday afternoon. The department was located in an impressive and beautiful building.

But as I entered the huge car park, I found there were no parking bays for the disabled. As I'm a disabled person, I stopped my car at the guardhouse to enquire why there were no bays reserved for Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU).

I was directed to a spot at the far end of parking lot. When I told the security guard I needed a parking space near the entrance, he shot back: "Kamu tak boleh jalan kah? Kamu boleh park di belakang lah." (Can't you walk? You can just park at the back.)

I went in search of a bay when I noticed a slot marked ‘Khas' which cordoned off. I asked the guard if I could utilise that spot, and was told it was reserved for department VIPs.

I was then ordered to park in an illegal spot under a tree near the building.

The Person with Disabilities Act 2008 clearly defines the rights person with disabilities. The government is obliged to provide facilities for OKU but this has not been done.

Recently, government urged the private sector to offer jobs to OKU and pledged to provide 1% of jobs in the public sector. But with such poor facilities for the disabled, it is hardly encouraging news.