The Disabled People's Act to ensure the disabled would enjoy equal rights in society and help reduce discrimination against them will be tabled in Parliament at the end of the year or early next year.

Parliamentary secretary for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry Chew Mei Fun told Parliament that the ministry has prepared the Act's draft

This will be fine tuned and strengthened once the Disabled People's Action Plan is passed, she added.

"The action plan is at the last stage of preparation and will be sent for the government's approval," she said.

She added that the action plan has taken into consideration issues listed in the book Biwako Millennium Framework for Action: Towards and Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific .

"It is also synchronized with the 'Disabled People's Rights Convention' which was accepted by the United Nations on Dec 13 last year."

Chew (BN-Petaling Jaya Utara) was replying to Lim Hock Seng (DAP-Bagan) who asked the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to state on the progress of the law for the disabled that has been six years in the making.

He also wanted to know if the government will sign the United Nations convention on the rights of the disabled.

Equal rights

Chew explained that the Act will ensure that the disabled would enjoy equal rights in society and help reduce discrimination against them.

"The Act will also be a tool to educate society about the rights of the disabled, which will eventually increase their participation and involvement in the community," she said.

Commenting on the allowance given to the disabled, Chew said: "Working allowance of RM200 is given to disabled people who are working for less than RM750 a month."

She also said the government has not signed the United Nations convention because it is awaiting feedbacks from parties who have direct involvement in the convention.

She added that the responses and comments are important to ensure that the convention does not overlap the country's laws and regulations.

"We also need feedback to see the readiness of agencies responsible for preparing disabled friendly facilities," she explained.