'If I can do it, others can do it too' - how a person with disabilities adapted to the MCO
Daniel Cheng is not one to let being born as a person with disabilities (PWD) become an obstacle for him to continue to earn a living at a grave time when the country is hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cheng, 30, who is in a wheelchair and grew up as an orphan, got the public’s attention when a picture of him selling his goods was spread on social media a few days ago.
“I was a baby when I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy...
Daniel Cheng is not one to let being born as a person with disabilities (PWD) become an obstacle for him to continue to earn a living at a grave time when the country is hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cheng, 30, who is in a wheelchair and grew up as an orphan, got the public’s attention when a picture of him selling his goods was spread on social media a few days ago.
“I was a baby when I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. This means that one hand and my legs are not strong,” Cheng said.
Cheng, who works full-time in the digital marketing division at Cybernetics International College, said he started running a part-time online business since the movement control order (MCO) 1.0 was implemented last year.
“When MCO started, there was no work to be done so I thought about what to do because I didn’t want to just sit at home. So, from there, I crossed over to start an online business.
“The current situation is that I am selling biscuits, chips and face masks to cover my daily expenses and earn more.
“At first it was a bit difficult but eventually it’s okay. The first week, the second week there were no sales but when it was the middle of the second week I started to get orders from customers,” he added.
He was able to be self-sufficient by trading online using only Twitter (@DanielCheng) and Facebook.
In a recent interview with Malaysiakini, Cheng also said that he was assisted by a close friend, Muhammad Zafri Zainal Abidin, who was also his housemate.
“I have friends who support me and give me a lot of motivation. They are also the ones who helped me a lot at times like this.
“These sales can not only help me to cover my bills but can also increase my sales capital so I am very honoured if many people can support my business,” he explained.
He added that in life, one must always be positive and far-sighted and it is not easy to give up because life must continue.
“For me, this life is difficult in any way but it still has to continue. If it feels difficult, the test is all there but we have to face it. If we don’t help ourselves, no one else will want to help us,” he explained.
He added that people should not sit still and expect good things to happen, and they must be prepared to get up and start again if they fall.
“Money will not fall from the sky. I’m having a hard time but if I can do it, I believe that others can also do it,” he said.
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