THE hard-hitting impact of Covid-19 has not only affected the able bodied but has also taken a heavy toll on the handicapped.

With the constant lockdowns, they told The Malaysian Insight that the coronavirus has derailed their mobility and ability to earn a living.

They are hoping the government will step in to assist them assimilate into this struggle that has affected everyone since the onset of the pandemic.

There are more than 20,000 wheelchair users nationwide, said a rehabilitation centre for the disabled.

Samsir Ab Latiff, who has been wheelchair bound since 1997 after getting into a car accident, is struggling to make ends meet.

The 62-year-old who works as a Grab driver said it is difficult to earn a living with the various lockdowns.

“I work from morning to night and can only earn RM20 to RM30. That’s not even enough to cover my fuel.

“I temporarily stopped driving because of lack of passengers and the high number of Covid-19 cases.”

Samsir, who is a single parent and has a 15-year-old daughter, said that he was surviving on the RM450 monthly aid from the welfare department.

“We have enough to eat, but we are only worried about car payments and other utility bills.

“I also need funds because of my condition where I have to go to the hospital for monthly check-ups. I have high blood pressure and diabetes.

“We are not asking for much. We just hope the government can assist us with more aid until the end of the year.”

Samsir also has another plea to the government – to grant his daughter who was born in Germany, a Malaysian citizenship.

“We have requested citizenship from the government, but they said it is still being processed.

“If anything happens to me, then she will be sent back to Germany.”

Losing income

S. Jayaraj, 43 who has been wheelchair bound since 2006 due to an industrial accident, said he also lost his income because of the lockdowns.

“I used to sell pens in front of banks, restaurants and other areas around the Klang Valley before the lockdown.

“But, with the recent strict lockdowns, I can’t earn a living. Now, there is no sustainable income.”

Jayaraj, who lives in Rawang, Selangor, said that while they do get a monthly disabled workers allowance of RM450, that’s not enough.

“If we get the allowance from the welfare department we are not eligible for the RM500 Prihatin aid. We should also be getting the aid.

“The welfare department must also conduct house visits to see how we are living. We hope that the government can give more monetary aid until the end of the year.

“We also urge telco companies for an 80% discount on our monthly phone bills. This will help us out greatly.”

He also hopes that the government can look into raising the disabled workers allowance to RM700 a month.

Hoping for aid

Teo Kah Choo, 53, who lost his ability to walk because of polio when he was three years old, said funds have become tight because he can’t operate his mobile fruit business.

“I have a motorcycle with a sidecar, which I used to sell fruits in Section 17, Petaling Jaya, but since the pandemic I am not allowed to operate because of the lockdowns.”

Teo, who lives in Petaling Jaya with his 81-year-old mother in their family home, said that they are currently surviving on RM1,000 rental which they are getting from another home they own in Serdang.

“It’s very tight now. We need funds to buy groceries and medicine for my mother.

“We are surviving on the rental, but for a few months we couldn’t collect rent as the tenants also lost their jobs.

“I’m worried that if we lose the tenants, then we are finished. Who can we rely on?”

While he had received aid from the government’s Prihatin package, he said that it was only for the short term.

“We hope the government will not only assist us, but all disabled people, especially those who are living alone.”

Facing a lot of difficulties

Independent Living and Training Centre president Francis Siva, 62, who has been running a rehabilitation centre for the disabled for 22 years, said more needs to be done for the wheelchair users.

“The disabled here are facing a lot of difficulties. Mainly can’t pay rental, utility bills and other expenses.

“They are at a critical stage. Many are suffering more than others. We have limited resources, so we try to help as many as we can,” he said, adding that there are more than 20,000 wheelchair users nationwide.

He said the most critical thing the disabled need right now is to pay their medical bills and for other expenses.

“We hope the government can look into giving at least RM600 for the next three months.”

Francis said the centre, which provides counselling for those who are newly wheelchair bound, have lost most of their corporate sponsors.

“We provide free therapy and counselling for those who are newly disabled. Some are depressed and worried after becoming disabled, so we help them assimilate into being wheelchair bound.

“For funds, we are getting some government projects by providing training and counselling for caregivers, but that’s not enough to survive.”

He also added that currently they are providing free transportation services for 300 disabled folks around the Klang Valley and are in dire need of funds.

“We provide transportation for them to banks, grocery shopping and for medical appointments.

“We have three vans and we need RM2,000 monthly for fuel. We hope to get some assistance from anyone.” – August 13, 2021.