Rukunegara As The Preamble - DR. CHANDRA MUZAFFAR

The Rukunegara should be made the Preamble ( Muqadimmah) to the Malaysian Constitution. There are seven compelling reasons for suggesting this.

One, the objectives of the Rukunegara are linked to values which are perennial --- values such as unity, justice and freedom. Preambles of most constitutions embody this timeless quality since they are meant to serve people beyond the present.

Two, the objectives and the principles of the Rukunegara are inclusive. They transcend gender, ethnicity, religion and region. This is what makes the Rukunegara, potentially, a force for unity in a diverse society.

Three, the Rukunegara commands a high degree of legitimacy. All its principles and objectives resonate with the vast majority of Malaysians. This includes the belief in God, on the one hand, and the commitment to a democratic way of life, on the other. Besides, this national philosophy or ideology as it has been dubbed was produced by a National Consultative Council--- albeit operating under Emergency Rule --- which represented a wide cross-section of society. All religious groups had seats in the Council. Both labour and business were included. All major political parties from the government and the opposition with the exception of one participated in the NCC under the chairmanship of Tun Abdul Razak. It is equally significant that the Rukunegara was proclaimed to the nation by the Yang di Pertuan Agong himself on 31st August 1970.

Four, given its legitimacy, its inclusiveness and its timelessness, the Rukunegara should now be endowed with the force of law. Only then will the courts be able to bestow it with meaning and substance. Though some judges have over the decades alluded to the Rukunegara in their judgements, it has no role in the adjudication process.

Five, since perceptions of state and society have become more and more polarised in recent years, it would make sense to bring back to the centre a philosophy which has the capacity to draw people together. There is no reason why Malaysians of different backgrounds and persuasions should not rally around a set of objectives and principles like the Rukunegara.

Six, the elevation of the Rukunegara has become imperative partly because of the sometimes subtle push by sections of the Muslim populace for laws and policies that reflect their own particularistic interpretation of Islam which does not always represent the essence of the faith and its practice. Because this tendency is getting stronger, we have to empower a philosophy which is all-embracing and yet resonates with Islamic values and aspirations. The Panca Sila, the guiding principles of the Indonesian state which has many parallels to the Rukunegara, and is deeply rooted in the psyche of the people has undoubtedly played an effective role in checking bigotry and dogmatism in the world’s largest Muslim nation.

Seven, as against the bigotry of some Muslim groups, there is the other trend associated with a segment of the non-Muslim citizenry that in the name of hidebound secularism seeks to deny religion any role at all in the public square. In a society where Islam has been a fundamental factor in shaping the identity of the majority of the people, it is naïve to try to marginalise the religion when addressing societal concerns. It is how Islam is understood and practised that is the critical challenge. The Rukunegara at least attempts through its first principle, the belief in God, to articulate a universal vision of faith that transcends religious boundaries which is reinforced in its fifth principle by a notion of good behaviour and morality that is not confined to a specific community.

The quest to make the Rukunegara the Preamble of the Malaysian Constitution has a long history behind it. In early 1971, the late Professor Syed Hussein Alatas, in an essay entitled, “The Rukunegara and the Return to Democracy in Malaysia” (Pacific Community Volume 2, Nos 1-4, Tokyo) argued that the Rukunegara could fulfil the function of a preamble. “It can be considered”, he wrote, “as an appropriate introduction to the Constitution. It reflects the predominant trend in the political and philosophical thinking of the nation.” It is interesting that he also observed “that the late Dato Onn bin Ja’afar, the founder president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the first major political leader that emerged from post-war Malaya, lamented to me privately that the Constitution did not contain a preamble.”

After the Rukunegara was inaugurated as the nation’s philosophy in August 1970, Tun Razak and his Deputy, Tun Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman, gave some emphasis to the document through schools and the media. On their demise in the mid-seventies, Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn and one of his key Ministers, Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie, continued to champion the Rukunegara. It was from the eighties onwards that the national philosophy began to recede into the background. In 2005 and 2006, there was a brief effort to revive the document but it did not take off.

From the early eighties, a handful of us --- civil society activists and academics --- tried to keep the Rukunegara alive through our writings and via seminars and forums. The Rukunegara’s objectives and principles were used as yardsticks to measure the performance of the powers-that-be. Our modest endeavours did not make a dent.

Now some of us are once again seeking to raise the status and role of the Rukunegara. In the midst of the new challenges that have surfaced, making the Rukunegara the preamble to the Constitution will give it the weight and value it deserves. It will be so much easier for the citizen to insist that those who wield power and authority should through deeds prove that they are genuinely committed to the objectives and principles of the Rukunegara.

Petaling Jaya.

26 September 2016.

JUST Seminar: World Beyond War: The Rohingya Refugee Crisis and its Implications on Security in the ASEAN region

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings from the International Movement for a Just World (JUST)!

JUST is  a co-sponsor of the “World Beyond War” conference and festival of events in Washington, D.C. on the weekend of 23-25 September 2016. Leading thought leaders, activists, and intellectuals from throughout the world will be participating in this important event.

Towards this end, we are pleased to announce that JUST will be organizing a major seminar on “World Beyond War: The Rohingya Refugee Crisis and its Implications on Security in the ASEAN Region” on the 24^th of September 2016 at the Institut Integriti Malaysia (IIM) in Kuala Lumpur, and would like to cordially invite you, your colleagues, students, and friends to be participants at the said event.

Details of the seminar’s program are as follows:

Date of forum: 24^th September 2016 (Saturday)

Time: 8.30am -1.00pm

Venue: INSTITUT INTEGRITI MALAYSIA (IIM), Persiaran Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Bukit Tunku, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Time	Agenda
8.30 am – 9.00 am	Registration
9.00am-9.30 am	Introduction by JUST President Dr. Chandra Muzaffar:World Beyond War
9.30am-10.00am	Speaker 1 Richard Towle (UNHCR Representative) : The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Causes and Consequences
10.00am-10.30am	Speaker 2 Tan Sri Hasmy Agam (former Chairman of SUHAKAM):Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Challenges presented by the Rohingya Refugee Crisis
10.30am-10.45am	Speaker Q&A Session
10.45-11.00am	Tea/Coffee Break
11.00am-12.00pm	Panel Discussion (5 participants): The role of ASEAN   in addressing NTS Challenges presented by the Rohingya Refugee Crisis ·  Dr. Arujunan Narayanan – JUST ·  Dr. Jatswan Singh – Universiti Malaya (Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) ·  Vidyananda (K.V Soon) – International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) ·  Azlinariah Abdullah – ASTRO Awani ·  Dr. Mohammad Iqbal B. Omar - MERCY Malaysia
12.00pm-12.45pm	Panelists Q&A Session
12.45pm-1.00pm	Closing of Seminar
1.00pm	Lunch

We plan to present the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the seminar to the UN Secretary- General, the ASEAN Secretary-General, and the Malaysian government, so the appropriate steps may be taken.

We are confident that you will both benefit immensely from the discussion on this crucial issue, as well as contribute to the richness of the deliberations in substantive ways. JUST loves to see its supporters and those critically engaged with the most pressing issues in the world today at its events, so we hope to see you here.

To confirm your attendance, please complete the attached reply slip, and RSVP JUST’s Program Coordinator, Hassanal Noor Rashid at hassanal@just-international.org before the 20th September 2016.

Please note that spaces will be limited to 100 participants, so please confirm your attendance as soon as possible to reserve your seats.

We look forward to your response and participation.

Warm regards,

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

President

International Movement for a Just World (JUST)

Concept Note

The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) will host a seminar in September 2016 as part of its support for a global nonviolent movement entitled ‘World Beyond War’, based in Washington D.C., to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. The organization of the seminar in Kuala Lumpur supports a major World Beyond War event in Washington, D.C. scheduled for 23-25 September 2016, just after the International Day of Peace. This note provides the concept for the JUST seminar as well as its scope and strategic contribution to the World Beyond War movement.  

The seminar will provide an opportunity to assess the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, from the perspective of non-traditional security (‘NTS’) challenges, and its nexus to inter-state cooperation in the South East Asian region. The NTS challenges are non-military areas that expand the security agenda beyond its traditional remit of state and military security such as undocumented forced migration, transnational organized crime i.e. people smuggling, human and narco trafficking, food shortages and infectious diseases. These challenges are amplified by the forces of globalization, and exceed the capacity of individual states in the region to effectively resolve them, which can lead to conflict or war.

Despite garnering significant public attention in 2015 over the boat crisis, Rohingya refugees are not welcomed by other countries in ASEAN, as they are increasingly viewed as possible threats to national security associated with rise of terrorism and transnational crime, in addition to being seen as an economic burden. The actions taken at the regional level by ASEAN to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis are focused on stemming the flow of refugees into their countries rather than addressing its root causes.

A strong, multilateral co-operative approach in the region is urgently needed, in line with ASEAN’s ‘people first’ policy, to halt the catastrophic unfolding of genocidal acts against the Rohingya. The formulation of an ASEAN comprehensive framework of action must also be considered, through a range of humanitarian, security, political, legal and development initiatives involving governments, international organizations and civil society actors. The framework should place emphasis on the human security of individuals in the region through preventive diplomacy and conflict management, including serious examination of root causes for the flight of Rohingyas. The impetus for such a response within ASEAN has already begun, with the recently published report on “The Rohingya Crisis and the Risk of Atrocities in Myanmar”, by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights[1]. The report describes the Rohingya refugee crisis as an ASEAN problem, and ASEAN-wide challenge, setting out a “Call to Action” by outlining ten action points for consideration.

Background

The United Nations considers the Rohingya as one of the most persecuted groups in the world. Their humanitarian condition is worsened by their official statelessness in Myanmar, deprived of citizenship as Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be immigrants from Bangladesh and West Bengal. The situation has deteriorated to such a degree that a recent report by the International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) at the Queen Mary University of London[2] states that the Rohingya are facing the final stages of genocide. The report makes reference to decades of persecution which have taken on a new and intensified form since the emergence of mass killings in 2012. The marked escalation in what has been described by the report as state-sponsored stigmatization, discrimination, violence and segregation, and the systematic weakening of the community, make precarious the very existence of the Rohingya. Another recent report prepared by the International Human Rights Clinic at the Yale Law School for Fortify Rights[3] has concluded that there is strong evidence that genocide is being committed against the Rohingya by security forces, government officials, local Rakhine residents and others.

In desperation, the Rohingya have turned to people smugglers and boarded boats in Bangladesh and Myanmar, hoping to reach safety and seek refuge in other ASEAN countries. This mass refugee movement has fuelled a thriving human trafficking trade that include the establishment of jungle camps along Thailand’s border with Malaysia. These camps which contained mass graves were discovered by Thai authorities in 2015, resulting in boats filled with refugees being abandoned and set adrift at sea by trafficking rings, necessitating rescue operations by Malaysia and Indonesia. Following this, the Thai government organized a “Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean” on 29 May, 2015 in Bangkok in recognition of the need for stronger multilateral cooperation to address the Rohingya refugee issue.

---

[1]ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), The Rohingya Crisis and the Risk of Atrocities in Myanmar: An ASEAN Challenge and a Call to Action, April 2015, http://www.aseanmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Rohingya-Crisis-and-the-Risk-of-Atrocities-in-Myanmar-An-ASEAN-Challenge-and-Call-to-Action.pdf

[2] Green P., Macmanus T., de la Cour Venning A., Countdown to Annihilation: Genocide in Myanmar, London: International State Crime Initiative, http://statecrime.org/data/2015/10/ISCI-Rohingya-Report-PUBLISHED-VERSION.pdf

[3] Lowenstein, K. Allard, (2015), Persecution of the Rohingya Muslims: Is Genocide Occuring in Myanmar’s Rakhine State?, International Human Rights Clinic, http://www.fortifyrights.org/downloads/Yale_Persecution_of_the_Rohingya_October_2015.pdf

Salam Hari Malaysia - Khamis di Sinar Harian

Jadikan Malaysia negara yang CEMERLANG:

Komited untuk terus hidup secara harmoni dan kerjasama.

Salam Sejahtera. Ini adalah satu panggilan tindakan! Setiap daripada kita mempunyai peranan yang penting untuk menjadikan Malaysia negara yang CEMERLANG. Kita perlu mempraktikkan nasihat dan peringatan Tunku ke dalam polisi kerajaan dan kehidupan harian. Kita perlu komited untuk hidup secara harmoni dan kerjasama.

1)    Apakah itu komitmen?

Komitmen adalah kepercayaan yang diikuti dengan tindakan. Komitmen menjadikan sesuatu matlamat itu pasti walaupun kita harus memaksa diri untuk mencapainya. Kita berperang dengan musuh dalam diri sendiri. Apabila kita komited melaksanakan sesuatu perkara, kita bersedia untuk menghadapi segala cabaran dan rintangan. Kita bernafas dengan mantra “di mana ada kemahuan, di situ ada jalan”. Seseorang individu yang komited menggunakan sepenuhnya kelebihan unik yang dikurniakan oleh Tuhan untuk manusia; perbezaan antara kita dan makhluk ciptaan lain - TEKAD (willpower).

2)    Apakah yang diperlukan untuk kekal komited untuk hidup secara harmoni dan kerjasama di Malaysia?

Letakkan matlamat Malaysia lebih penting daripada kepentingan peribadi sama ada dari segi etnik, keagamaan ataupun komuniti setempat. Percaya dengan kukuh bahawa kita tidak lebih atau kurang berbanding orang lain. Berikrar mendukung matlamat perpaduan dan semangat kepelbagaian antara kaum. Cari persamaan nilai-nilai murni yang boleh menyatukan kita. Bekerja keras untuk menerima perbezaan antara kita atau sekurang-kurangnya bertoleransi dengan kasih sayang. Jangan sesekali mengelak, tidak mempedulikan atau memulaukan komuniti lain. Beriltizam untuk terus berinteraksi, hidup secara harmoni dan kerjasama dalam apa jua situasi.

3)    Di manakah titik permulaan kita?

Ada dua kunci penting di sini - tingkatkan ilmu pengetahuan dan jaringan kenalan. Apabila kita kurang berilmu, kita melihat dengan pandangan yang prejudis. Ilmu menukarkan prejudis kepada perasaan yang murni dan bertindak sebagai pemangkin positif. Seperti kata pepatah, “tak kenal maka tak cinta”. Baca serta didik diri dan masyarakat sekitar. Apabila kita mempunyai kenalan dan kawan daripada komuniti yang lain, kita tidak mudah terpedaya oleh fanatisme dan sentimen perkauman. Kenalan peribadi dan hubungan persahabatan boleh bertindak sebagai antibodi kepada sifat perkauman, diskriminasi dan ketidaktoleransian agama.

Mari bersama mencipta sebanyak mungkin landasan perpaduan melalui peningkatan ilmu pengetahuan dan peluang-peluang untuk membina lebih banyak jaringan kenalan supaya Malaysia lebih CEMERLANG.

Di zubedy, sumber kekuatan program-program kami adalah nilai-nilai murni dan tradisi-tradisi budaya yang dikongsi bersama. Kami percaya niat di dalam hati semua rakyat Malaysia mahukan yang terbaik untuk diri mereka dan untuk setiap anak-anak Malaysia. Kami percaya bahawa Malaysia tidak akan maju jika sebahagian daripada kita tertinggal di belakang.

Untuk berkongsi pendapat dan pengalaman anda, sila hubungi kami di makemalaysiagreat@zubedy.com atau lawati Facebook dan Twitter @makemygreat.

Usahakan yang terbaik,

Salam Hari Malaysia.

“Masa hadapan kita bergantung kepada betapa eratnya pelbagai kaum boleh hidup secara harmoni dan kerjasama” - Tunku Abdul Rahman (1903 – 1990)

Have a meaningful Hari Malaysia - Wednesday in The STAR

Make Malaysia GREAT:

Let’s commit to live and work together.

Salam Sejahtera. This is a call to action! You and I have a crucial role to play to Make Malaysia GREAT. We need to translate Tunku’s advice and caution into government policies and citizen action. We need to commit to live and work together.

1.    What is commitment?

Commitment is belief followed by action. Commitment is about making things happen. Even when we have to force ourselves towards a goal, we do it. We fight the enemy within. When we commit, we are willing to suffer first. We breathe the mantra ‘where there is a will, there is a way’. A committed person truly uses God’s unique gift to mankind; the only real difference between the rest of creation and us – our WILLPOWER. 

2.    What does it take to commit to live and work together?

Place Malaysia’s goals as more important than our own selfish ones be they ethnic, religious or locality. Have strong convictions that we are neither superior nor inferior to the other. Pledge to the goal of Unity and embrace diversity. Look for shared values that can unite us. Work hard to accept areas that we cannot agree with or at the least, tolerate with kindness. Do not avoid, ignore, or block out the others. Commit to find ways to interact, to live and to work with each other, no matter what.

3.    Where do we begin?

The two key ingredients are – increase knowledge and personal acquaintances. Little knowledge translates into less favorable views and prejudices. More knowledge transforms prejudices into goodwill and acts as a catalyst for positivity. As the saying goes, ‘tak kenal maka tak cinta’. Read and educate ourselves and the nation.

Having personal acquaintances is essential because when we know someone personally from other communities, we are not easily fooled by bigotry and racist accusations. Personal acquaintances and friendships act as antibodies to racism, sectarianism and religious intolerance.

                                                                                                                              

Let us create more platforms for Malaysians to get to know and be acquainted with each other so we can Make Malaysia GREAT.

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from our shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

You and I, we must commit to Make Malaysia GREAT.

Join the conversation. Share your thoughts by contacting us at makemalaysiagreat@zubedy.com, or visit our Facebook and Twitter page @makemygreat.

Let us add value,

Have a meaningful Hari Malaysia.

Rehabilitation medicine in Malaysia is still little known - THE STAR

By rights, around 30% of the population should come under their care at any one point in time; yet, their speciality is often misunderstood, not only by the public, but also by other doctors.

“This is where the problem is, because what society knows as rehabilitation can range from a simple massage to physio- therapy to a full-fledged multi-disciplinary team providing medical coverage around the clock,” says Universiti Malaya (UM) Faculty of Medicine Rehabilitation Medicine Department senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Lydia Abdul Latif.

Even other doctors may not be completely clear or sceptical of the role and advantages of rehabilitation medicine, also known simply as rehab.

Says Assoc Prof Lydia: “For example, the cardiologists, sometimes they feel, what difference does it make whether you do cardiac rehab or not?

“But we told them, it is really not your decision, you just have to share the information on cardiac rehab. Give that knowledge to your patient and let your patient decide.”

She adds that some other doctors think that they can just work directly with the physiotherapist, rather than call in a rehabilitation physician.

But physiotherapy is often just one part of the rehabilitation process of a patient.

Says UM Petronas Chair of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Prof Datuk Dr Zaliha Omar: “I think the first concept you have get through is that rehab is not static, rehab is a process.

“So that patient going for physiotherapy is going for rehab, it’s part of the process, but it’s not all there is to rehab.”

The rehab process

The goal of rehab is to help patients with physical and/or cognitive disabilities regain as much functional ability as possible.

“We specialise in treating patients who develop disability following a disease process or injury.

“We are trained to look at the physical, psychological and functional aspects of the patient,” says Assoc Prof Lydia, adding that they then estimate the highest function the patient can regain and develop a programme to help the patient achieve it.

For example, she notes that heart attack patients are often unsure when they can get back to their daily activities, like working, driving, exercising, having sex, etc.

She says: “The first thing that we do is to stratify their risk to see whether they have high risk, low risk or moderate risk. This is actually a medical evaluation to assess their level of function.

“Then, we use the stratification to match what they would to need to return them back to their pre-morbid (before the heart attack) function in a safe manner, and to reassure them.”

Prof Zaliha adds: “In the practice of rehabilitation, our approach has to be holistic; that means you look at the person in a holistic perspective in every sense of the word – biological, psychological, social and technological.

“And when you do that, you must be able to provide the patient with a comprehensive range of service.”

This service is provided by a multidisciplinary team led by the rehabilitation physician. It can include doctors from other specialities, nurses, clinical psychologists and allied health specialists like physiothe- rapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.

Says Prof Zaliha: “Based on our assessment, we set goals, And once we have goals, we implement activities to get to them.

“All of us have the same goals that are agreed to by the patient and the family, but each of us have to do different things.

“For example, the doctor may have to give an injection, the physiotherapist may have to strengthen the walk, the occupational therapist may have to teach the patient how to put on and button their clothes, (and) psychologists look at their psychological profile and help them to stabilise their emotions and cope with their situation.”

Because there are so many processes to be done, someone has to lead and coordinate the efforts.

“When it comes to rehabilitation, the leader has to be a rehab physician,” says Prof Zaliha.

“Why? Because the rehab physician is trained to lead a rehab service, and rehab physicians are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and very often after a while, the experience, to enable them to network with all these people, to make sure they use all their skills (to help the patient), and get the patient to access all these services.”

She also says that it is not enough for the team to be multidisciplinary, it must also be interdisciplinary, i.e. communication between the team members must be done on a regular basis in order to properly monitor the progress of the patient.

Lack of awareness

Rehabilitation medicine initially developed during the First and Second World Wars due to the need of wounded soldiers for physical rehabilitation before returning to the battlefield.

Even now, Prof Zaliha says that 30% of the population rightfully require the care of rehabilitation physicians.

“Fifteen percent of the population are disabled, and another 15% are temporarily disabled because of illnesses and other medical conditions, so we’re looking at 30% of the population,” she says.

“The patients we manage are patients with any condition that will either potentially cause a disability, already have an overt disability, or have complicated disabilities arising out of birth, injury or illness.

“And it’s from intra-uterine to death, so we do womb to tomb,” she adds.

In Malaysia, Assoc Prof Lydia shares that patients who typically get referred for rehabilitation are those with neurological conditions like stroke, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy; spinal cord injuries due to trauma, infections or cancer; traumatic brain injuries; and diabetics with amputations.

However, she adds that the other conditions that rehab physicians should ideally play a role in treating, but which people do not usually associate with rehab, are chronic pain and cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and heart failure.

General awareness of rehabilitation medicine among the public is also lacking.

Prof Zaliha notes that while those living in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown and Johor Bahru, are probably generally aware of rehab, others are ignorant of it.

According to her, there are currently 72 certified rehab physicians around the country, with at least one or two in government service in every state, except Perlis (which shares with Kedah).

However, Assoc Prof Lydia says that it is important to note that rehab facilities are not well-distributed throughout the country.

“The state-of-the-art facilities where we provide state-of-the-art rehab services are largely confined to the Klang Valley, where we have two of the three speciality hospitals that provide full-fledged rehab medicine,” she says.

The three hospitals are UM Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Hospital Rehabilitasi Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, and the Socso Rehabilitation Centre in Malacca.

UM is also the only university in the country offering a masters degree in rehabilitation medicine for doctors.

Due to this, Prof Zaliha says: “We have to work in teams with other people so that they can initiate the rehabilitation process, and we rehab physicians take on the difficult cases that are on the tip of the pyramid.”

The Health Ministry has also initiated a community-based rehabilitation programme, which utilises the expertise of rehabilitation physicians in training primary care physicians in the basics of rehab.

“In 1,000 health centres around the country, the primary care physicians actually provide very basic rehabilitation service, together with physiotherapists, nurses, and some have occupational therapists as well.

“That is very important, as the primary care physicians are our foundation,” says Prof Zaliha.

Calling persons with disabilities

Malaysia will not only be hosting the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine World Congress for the first time, but will also be introducing the congress’ first-ever Consumers’ Day on Wednesday.

Targeted at persons with disabilities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), medical social workers and stakeholders from government bodies, this one-day event aims to facilitate dialogue between these groups and the leading experts in rehabilitation medicine.

There will be lectures on Exercise & Competitive Sports for PWDs (persons with disabilities), Coping with Disabilities, Partners and Family, Practical Tips on Sexuality, Relationships and Communication After SCI (spinal cord injury), and WHO (World Health Organization) Disability Action Plan – What We Should Know in the morning, followed by an afternoon panel discussion on Inclusion Matters From Education to Employment.

The registration fee for the Consumers’ Day is RM200 (USD45) for participants and RM200 (USD25) for accompanying caregivers.

Those interested can register on the day itself at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) or earlier at www.isprm2016.com. For more information, email consumerday.isprm2016@gmail.com.

This 10th edition of the annual conference is being organised by the Malaysian Association of Rehabilitation Physicians from today until Thursday at KLCC.

Article taken from The Star.