The new Pakatan Harapan government should strengthen existing laws and enforcement against able-bodied persons
caught abusing facilities dedicated to persons with disabilities.

Pertubuhan Kebajikan Kasih Sayang president R Rameskaanth said the call was made as there are still limited facilities dedicated for their use and the current fine imposed was deemed as too low.

"We appeal to the public, please respect the parking lots dedicated for persons with disabilities.

"Often times there would only be one or two slots and even that was taken up and abused," he told Malaysiakini when met after a donation distribution function held at the Malaysian Association of the Blind headquarters in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

Rameskaanth cited as examples the insufficient number of dedicated parking spaces outside local banks, as well as the number of dedicated restrooms at the highway rest areas.

"People would say they were only using our dedicated spaces for a short while.

"If we tell them off, sometimes they would get angry at us," he pointed out.

At the same time, Rameskaanth said they would also arrange for a time to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the women, family and community development minister.

The day's function was also jointly organised by the Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum group - an NGO dedicated to assisting persons with disabilities who have an interest to set-up their own small-scale businesses.

Its president M Mahendran said they also urged the new government to urgently repair roads around Brickfields as many areas have become a hazard to persons with disabilities.

"This is a government with the people's interest in mind so we hope that more can be done to assist persons with disabilities, be in the fields of business, welfare, sports and many others," he said.

While pledging his organisation's readiness to assist persons with disabilities to set-up a business, Mahendran also noted that there has been little information regarding existing schemes or funds offered by the previous BN administration.

In raising their demands to the government, the groups, however, insisted they are also equally willing to assist the nation through donations made to the Tabung Harapan fund.

The donations amounting to RM600 was made on behalf of Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum.

At the function earlier today, a total of 150 persons with disabilities received donations in the forms of hampers from the two organisations.