Heavier penalty for crime against the disabled - President of Muscleteer Malaysia

Fadzli Fadhilah, president of Muscleteer Malaysia, a support group for Muscular Dystrophy and ALS is demanding for heavier punishment to be meted against those involved in crimes against People with Disability (PWD).

Fuelled by the fear and trauma after being robbed twice in a week, Fadzli, 37, who suffers from amyotrophy lateral sclerosois (ALS), had gone to the Parliament and made his demand known to the Dewan Negara Senator and Malaysian Confederation for the Disabled secretary Bathmavati Krishnan on Thursday.

“New rules and act should be introduced to protect PWD because PWD has so many limitations and helpless to protect ourselves and we are helpless,” said Fadzli who is wheelchair-bound.

Fadli’s story had started when he was taken advantage of his vulnerability in the comfort of his own home.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday when he claimed that a fast-food delivery man robbed him off RM100 during a ‘fake’ delivery to his apartment located in Bandar Tasik Selatan.

Fadzli said the 'delivery boy' had been to his house to deliver food before and had probably observed the house and his condition the first time.

“These past few weeks have been very tough on me. I had to put up a good fight against the fast food chain that tried to belittle me just because I am a person with disability,” he said in reference to the fast-food outlet which had denied responsibility towards the robbery.

Fadzli lodged police report twice over the incident and but said that the fast food company had refused to take action as the delivery service was outsourced to a third party.

During the second incident, just a week earlier, his valuables worth thousands of ringgit were stolen by a man who pretended to offer house-cleaning services.

Fadzli has been traumatised by the robbery is finding it difficult to overcome his fear of even going to the mall.

The incidents had left him even more in tatters as he was tailed by a man in the mall whom he believed had wanted to rob him.

“Can you imagine if I was in the disabled toilet and he came in? No one would know if he robbed or harmed me in the toilet. I quickly rushed myself to the busy area and sat at the same restaurant where I had my dinner earlier while waiting for my able-bodied friends to come. I was so relieved when I saw my friends. It seems a physically challenged person like me will always attract danger.”

“It sucked so much energy out of me that i feel weak, down and depress now,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page titled, ‘Fazz Fadhilah vs Muscular Dystrophy”.

Apart from punishment, Fadzli also called for the society to be more caring towards the disabled.

“Although PWD has disability, are we not a part of the society? Let us celebrate diversity in society by welcoming inclusiveness and make PWD feel more welcome in our caring society,” he added.