The leadership of the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) must not turn a blind eye to the blind, for it has not accepted applications fromthe blind to be members of the association, says a former MAB official.

More than 20 members had applied to be members about a year ago and their applications are still pending approval, former MAB vice-president Hasidi Hassan said.

The blind people, Hasidi said, would be complaining to the Registrar of Societies about themnot being allowed to be members of the association, which is supposed to look after their welfare.

Hasidi, 48 ( photo ), who become blind after an accident at 30, was a member and elected vice-president. His membership was terminated more than three months ago for protesting against MAB's unfair treatment of the blind.

He said that it was unfair and unjust of the association to object to the applications as the organisation was set up for the welfare of the blind.

An MAB executive committee (exco) member, S Radhakrishnan, told Malaysiakini that the blind members have to follow procedures by submitting their applications to the exco and stating what their contribution to the association would be.

“Membership is not automatic. We will be looking into their applications at end of this month at the coming exco meeting,” Radhakrishnan said, adding that he recently met with Hasidi to explain the membership procedures.

Hasidi said that there was nothing in the constitution of the association stating that applications for membership must state what the applicant’s contribution would be.

‘Exco fears being voted out by the blind’

“We have submitted our applications about a year ago and it is still pending approval. I think they are afraid that the blind members will vote them out in the scheduled AGM to be held on Oct 17.

"More than 95 percent of the membership are sighted people and the rest are blind members. We are upset with the attitude of the MAB's executive council's rejection of applications from the blind to be members of MAB,” Hasidi said.

"They are afraid that the blind people may have the voting power at coming AGM to elect blind members to the MAB council who will speak up against the leadership which does not care for the welfare of the blind."

Hasidi was referring to the former CEO of the MAB who was terminated from his position and reappointed as a consultant, whose office is now in the Tun Hussein Onn Eye Hospital.

"It is totally improper for the former CEO, who was investigated by the disciplinary committee and found not to have performed his duties according to procedures and was told to leave the organisation, has now been made a consultant, with his office now in the Tun Hussein Hospital, and given the task of overseeing the development of a housing project on land allocated for the welfare of the blind.

"We have appealed and written letters many times to redress many irrational issues concerning the MAB and so far nothing has been done to resolve the welfare of the blind.

"If the blind are not represented in the executive council, then MAB will not understand our problems," Hasidi added.