Respect your migrant worker

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Anthony SB Thanasayan is a wheelchair user who is powered by his service dogs who help him stay on top of life. He is president of Malaysia's first and only animal-assisted therapy society called Petpositive.

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Published: 26 January 2015

 

Not a week or day goes by that Tenaganita doesn't come across cases where a migrant or domestic worker's right has been violated.
There is also a string of other abuses. 

 

Most of them involve women, from sex workers to people living with HIV and AIDS, single mothers to trafficked women, and more.
 

Will this ugly side of our familiar Malaysian headlines ever end? Why do we treat domestic workers so poorly and outrageously?

These are some of the questions I recently put forward to Aegile Fernandez. She is the person in charge of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit in Tenaganita. The non-profit NGO – which largely champions the rights of women and migrant workers – is based in Petaling Jaya in the state of Selangor.
 

It was set up in 1991, out of the struggles of women workers in the plantations and the industrial sector.
 

Fernandez addressed my questions by focusing on the real-life stories of the people her organisation helps to empower.
 

Yanti, for instance, worked for a Malaysian employer for five years.
Although she had to work in the wee hours of the day, she wasn't paid a salary or given a day off.
 

This went on for some time until Yanti could not take it any longer. She threatened suicide if she was not sent home.
 

Her employer finally paid her RM2,000. Yanti's agent took her to Johor and forced her to swim to the boat. Unable to swim, she struggled for her dear life in the sea.
 

The next thing Yanti recalled was waking up on the seashore, covered with banana leaves. A kind stranger gave her food and sent her to Tenaganita.
 

Yanti never got her five years' salary from her employer. She returned to her home country empty-handed. On arrival, her family was shocked to see her as they thought she had died.
 

Her husband had remarried by then. Her house was in ruins. Her employer had refused to allow her to contact her family during the five years.
 

"Yanti's is only one story among many others who have suffered – and still suffer – horrific abuses and torture at the hands of their employers," Fernandez pointed out.
 

"Domestic work is not considered as a 'real job', so domestic workers are called 'maids', 'servants'  or 'household helpers'."
 

Fernandez went on to explain that about 300,000 domestic workers do not have any protection measures in Malaysia. Almost all of them have their passports held by the employer, thus holding them at ransom.
 

Furthermore, no contracts are signed. No paid day off in a week. The first six to nine months of work salary is paid to the agent as "his earnings".
 

Long hours of work and double or triple jobs means a maid also has to clean other family members' houses or business outlets. 

 

The highest number of cases related to domestic workers in Malaysia involve unpaid wages as well as physical and sexual abuse.
 

Fernandez also pointed out that there is a growing number of children being brought in to work as domestic workers.
 

Rubina (not her real name) was only 14 when she was brought to Malaysia by a so-called uncle on a tourist visa.
 

She was then sent out to work with a family who had three small children. Rubina had to do the housework and care for the children.  

 

Even though she was denied her salary for two years, she was made to work long hours and physically abused.
One day the female employer and her husband beat her up. They also sexually abused her by inserting foreign objects into her vagina.
 

In severe pain, Rubina begged them to stop. Bleeding profusely, she managed to run to a nearby shop for help.
 

Fortunately an Indonesian worker rushed her to the hospital. She was warded for five months.
 

The doctors declared it was a miracle that Rubina managed to survive the trauma.
 

Today, at 17 years of age and still a child, Rubina's life remains shattered and broken.
 

"It is unthinkable that any parent of children of their own like her abuser can inflict such a dastardly act on another child and in their own home," said Fernandez with a shiver.
 

"Not only foreigners but Malaysians in our own country have suffered – and continue to suffer silently – working as domestic workers."
 

Fernandez said it is most disappointing that until today, the issue of Malaysian domestic workers has not been addressed by our relevant authorities. This leaves no protection mechanisms in place for their safety.
 

"It is no wonder then why Malaysians do not want to work as 'live-in domestic workers', but rather prefer to work only a few hours in a day or part-time in households.
 

Fernandez offers the following suggestions, particularly for employers:
 

* Passports to be held by your domestic worker.
 

* One paid day off for your domestic worker.
 

* A standardised contract signed between you and your domestic worker.
 

* Open a bank account and bank in her salary every month.
 

* Respect her as a PERSON and give her DIGNITY.
 

For more information contact Tenaganita at Tel: +603 7770 3691 / 7770 3671 Fax: +603 7770 3681
General enquiries: general@tenaganita.net. – January 26, 2015.
 

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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People who make a difference

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Published: 19 January 2015

 

Life is often complicated. It doesn't matter whether you are a person with a disability, or not.

So don't worry, even if you happen to be in a wheelchair.
The good news is – with a little bit of help from some exceptionally great and wonderful friends and forces out there – you will be able to overcome the obstacles that come along life's way.

I discovered this pleasant truth recently, when confronted with a string of problems. The other day, while flossing my teeth, one of my tooth chipped.
 

Now, everyone who has been to a dentist knows that ignoring the problem will only worsen it – and end up with plenty of pain.
And if you are in a wheelchair, there's that awful worry about wheelchair-unfriendly dental clinics.
 

Experience has taught us that most of them are found upstairs on the first floor for some unknown reason.  
 

Not Pristine Dental Centre, thank God, where I go to. It's in Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur – one of the friendliest places for wheelchairs.
 

From the underground car park to the clinic on the second floor – there are no steps to stop you.
 

My dentist, Dr Suresh Nair, is simply the best.
 

Because it is extremely difficult for me to physically transfer myself in my condition to his dental chair, he kindly treats me on the one that I came in with: my wheelchair. (Besides, weak bladder and bowel movements, together with brittle bones that are rather unpredictable, are not normal issues that any dentist wants or should mess around with.)
 

So with one of his nurses to hold my head in support as I arch myself backwards, the good dentist does the rest. Bending the body and turning around when necessary, he performs the unimaginable as he zeroes in on the troubled spots – and fixes them.
 

Dr Suresh even goes the extra mile for me. He gives me the fastest possible appointments. At certain occasions, he has even accepted me within a few hours’ notice.
 

Every session ends on a positive note and new information I didn't know about with regard to the condition of my teeth.
 

I think, not only should every dentist also do this – but regular doctors, too. There is nothing like leaving the doctor's clinic at the end of each visit, feeling on top of the world – and in control of one's ills.
 

Last week, my darling Dobermann Zhar, suddenly fell sick. He started throwing up every time he had his meal.
 

You can imagine how difficult and worrying this situation was for a wheelchair user and his loyal service canine like me.
 

Zhar is entrusted to assist me in daily chores which I am unable to do on my own.
 

For instance, he picks up objects from everywhere on command and hands them over safely to me. He is able to do this while I am seated in my wheelchair, laying on my bed or even in the bathroom.
He can pick up virtually anything: from pens to shoes, filled bottles (imagine the weight of it) to clothes, wheelchair add-on parts and more.
 

Even while Zhar was sick, he insisted on helping me until he no longer could. And that was when I became more worried for him.
I was simply amazed by the number of people who came forward to help Zhar and me.
 

My best friend Andrew Martin, as usual, took over the most important job. He drove Zhar over to Gasing Veterinary Hospital and helped to feed and clean the Dobie.
 

Gasing veterinarians, Dr Prem Anand and Dr Adah Malar, were brilliant in paying attention to every detail of Zhar's problems. They ran needed tests and prescribed the proper medication.
 

I kept in close contact of Zhar's progress with them on the telephone.
 

Despite my numerous calls (and even when one of them was at home during his off day), they never became fed up.
 

Instead, they were always enthusiastic, and remained positive about Zhar's recovery.
 

As I write this, Zhar's vomiting has ceased and his tests are clear. Although they didn't want to be too optimistic, the veterinarians told me not to worry.
 

"Should further problems crop up, (we'll) be right here to deal with it."
 

I was also deeply touched by my Facebook friends. Dozens of them, including those I have never met, were also praying and pitching in for Zhar's healing.
 

They kept me constantly on my toes, insisting on frequent updates on Zhar's progress with photographs.
 

This helped me to take some of the worry for a while.   
 

As the week ended, I had to call Maxis, my phone provider, to settle some technical problems I was facing.
 

I was delightfully surprised to come across a "customer care consultant" who settled all my issues within minutes.  
 

He was an "angel on the phone line" as far as I was concerned. He had all the patience in the world to listen to my problems, did not interrupt me – not even once, and took me through the entire process in a language which I could perfectly understand.
 

The young man also cracked a joke or two and made me laugh. He valued my time, had all the knowledge ready at his fingertips, and was cheerful all the way.    
 

His name is Lenard Arul. (I sincerely hope the Maxis CEO is reading this right now.)
 

Despite our conversation lasting only about 10 to 15 minutes or so, he joined the rest of the army of wonderful people who made my week an incredible and unforgettable one.
 

Have a great week, everybody! – January 19, 2015.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Inside

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What’s so wrong about my son?

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Anthony SB Thanasayan is a wheelchair user who is powered by his service dogs who help him stay on top of life. He is president of Malaysia's first and only animal-assisted therapy society called Petpositive.

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Published: 12 January 2015

 

I guess most of us today know what the word "disabled" means.
However, understanding it from a parent's point of view, or someone who has the condition, is often a totally different kettle of fish.
 

Here's an eye-opening email I received recently from a mother of a seven-year-old boy with a disability.

I shall call her "RY" because she wishes to remain anonymous.     "KT – not his real name – is my 'non-verbal' and 'non-walker' special-needs son whom I love more than anything else in this world," began RY.
 

"Because I do, I take him out with me all the time, whether to the grocer's for a quick grab of items, or to the mall for lunch or dinner."
 

She then went on to explain how disability affects her son.
 

KT wears a special type of shoe called an "ankle foot orthosis", or better known as "AFO". He has to wear it every time he goes out.
KT sits in a special bigger-than-normal stroller. That's because RY is no longer able to carry his usual customised wheelchair in and out of the car boot because of back problems.
 

His hands also have to be tied up with a nappy.
 

This is to deter the young lad from “punching” the cheeks, forehead and lips repeatedly until they bleed or turn blue black.
 

KT does this because of his sensory problem. He does not understand or realise that he is inflicting injury or pain on himself.
All his fingers need to be stuck together with pore tapes in order to prevent him from hurting himself further.
 

"Nobody – just nobody – would understand and appreciate the amount of effort and time I have put in to desensitise KT's odd sensory problems by learning the techniques from attending workshops and consulting scores of specialists and therapists," RY said in exasperation.
 

"I've had people walk up to me to ask me why 'I don't just reason with KT or teach him that it is wrong to box himself in his face. 

 

They find it hard to accept that my son simply doesn't understand what he is doing.
 

"On top of that, he also has a list of medical conditions which include his inability to understand logic. He also needs to be cared for 24/7 by a caregiver."
 

To make matters worse, RY said she is sometimes confronted by strangers who think she is abusing her son for tying him up.
 

"Instead of getting angry, I always make it a point to explain KT's special circumstances for those who care enough to listen."
 

Fortunately, such encounters have failed to deter KT from getting out of his house with mummy. Being out with RY is when he is happiest.
 

He never fails to start singing, or sometimes even screaming for joy.
 

"It's actually KT's way of expressing his happiness and trying to communicate with others around him through non-verbal means," RY explained.
 

While there are those who are supportive of mum and son by offering them a nod or a smile, unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.
 

There are those who either just don't get it – or simply are adamant about trying to understand persons who are born different and their caregivers. 
 

Once, while RY and KT were out for lunch, they encountered a middle-aged man seated next to them. He kept staring coldly at KT.
However, our hero who was in a jovial mood, kept smiling and waving at the man and even started to "chat him up".
 

RY leaned forward towards the man to explain that KT was trying to be friendly with him.
 

He had a horrific look on the face when he noticed KT's bandaged fingers and bound hands.
 

Despite RY explaining the whole situation to him, the man continued to stare at KT.
 

And in spite of KT behaving the same way to some of the other passers-by, the man continued to fix his gaze at KT – as if he was an alien who had just landed from outer space.
 

Then, just as KT and mum were about to leave, the man suddenly asked, "Is it something you ate, or did wrong during pregnancy that made your son an 'aborigine' and 'shouting and acting like a monkey'?"
 

RY was dumbfounded. She was also furious at the man's remarks.
But just as he was about to leave, she managed a response.
 

"Look, my son never asked to be born this way. He is multi-disabled, and a non-verbal and non-walking person who is merely trying his best to communicate in the only way he knows how to.
 

"He is a very beautiful boy – and it's so sad that you can't see it. If you would allow yourself to see him with an unbiased view, you would realise that too!
 

"I was stunned beyond words – and very hurt – by what he told me, without even a flinch on his face.
 

"But then again, I had learnt a very powerful lesson that day. It was a precious insight into what real blindness and human ugliness was all about.
 

"Rather than to discourage me, it made me more determined about going out more often and being seen with KT.
 

"People with disabilities like my beautiful son have every right to be seen in public just like others.
 

"So what if special kids 'sing, shout, cry and dance' in public? They are just being themselves!
 

"And when you think about it, what's so wrong about that!?" said RY who lives in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. – January 12, 2015.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Truth about drugs, HIV, AIDS

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Anthony SB Thanasayan is a wheelchair user who is powered by his service dogs who help him stay on top of life. He is president of Malaysia's first and only animal-assisted therapy society called Petpositive.

Anthony SB Thanasayan

Published: 5 January 2015

 

As we get going into a brand new week of another squeaky clean new year, I thought I'd focus our attention on HIV and AIDS.
Especially, on some of the myths surrounding the disease and persons living with HIV (PLHIV) and AIDS. It's high time we got rid of them, folks!  
 

Recently, I spoke with Raymond Tai, marketing and communications director at PT Foundation. I asked him to tell me more.

HIV is commonly spread among drug users when they share contaminated needles, or by irresponsible sex. Both drugs and sex are considered bad habits and immoral in our society. So the general feeling is that PLHIV have only brought on God’s punishment on themselves.
 

"Illicit drugs are not only listed as an enemy of the state in Malaysia but drug addicts are portrayed as scum and parasites of society," Tai said.
 

"It's no different with the media when drug users or ‘drug addicts’ are viewed as an eyesore in society. They are seen as litterbugs and troublemakers in their families and neighbourhoods.
 

"They steal to support their habits and don't hesitate to rob, assault, injure or even kill to get what they want," added Tai.
 

He went on to say that while some of it were true, Tai argues that they should be seen as "symptoms of a deeper problem within society".
 

For example, how does one become a drug addict? What triggers a child or teenager to get involved in drugs? Why does drug addiction affect certain segments of society more than others?
 

Tai said even the rich are not spared. He knows of a case where the eldest in the family became addicted to drugs, contracted HIV, and eventually died. The younger siblings went on to become very successful individuals.
 

It's important to remember that “drug addicts” are essentially that – people who are dependent on drugs.
 

However, it's a complex disease. And quitting takes more than good intentions or a strong will, according to Tai.
 

In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so.
 

"Drug addiction is a brain disease. Although initial drug use might be voluntary, abused drugs have been shown to alter gene expression and brain circuitry, which, in turn, affect human behaviour.
 

"Once addiction develops, these brain changes interfere with an individual’s ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving, seeking and use."
 

And it is these compulsive drug cravings which trigger erratic action, including sharing contaminated needles. It is a highly risky and infectious method in acquiring HIV and other diseases.
 

Drug users who are HIV positive need medical assistance such as methadone maintenance therapy and psycho-social counselling.
 

Family and friends' support is equally important after treatment.
 

Another common myth is it is better to let drug addicts die of AIDS because they eventually fall back to drugs.
 

"This is factually wrong," Tai vehemently argued.
 

"Many countries have had much success in treating drug dependents.
 

"The first step is recognising that while the cause of consuming illegal drugs is a social problem, drug addiction is a medical problem.
 

"In Malaysia, three decades of fighting drug addiction by criminalising it with imprisonment and mandatory cold turkey rehabilitation have failed to eliminate illicit drugs let alone reduce it."
 

On the contrary, the menace had fuelled another epidemic – at its peak, 22% of drug addicts also contracted HIV through not only infecting other drug users, but by infecting their spouses.
 

Worse, the virus was passed on from pregnant mothers to their newly born children.
 

Tai said in 2006, the Health Ministry and the National Anti-Drugs Agency embarked on the twin programmes of implementing the needle and syringe exchange programme and the national methadone maintenance therapy programme (MMT).
 

As a result, new cases of HIV infection among drug users were halved.
 

Drug addicts who voluntarily registered for the MMT no longer were addicted to harmful drugs like heroin. Many were able to get jobs and were reunited with their families and spouses.
 

Drug users, who are HIV positive and have managed to control their addiction problems, receive highly active anti-retroviral treatment which in turn keeps the HIV infection controlled to the point of becoming undetectable for HIV.
 

A softer and more compassionate approach, meanwhile, has shown strong evidence that drug addicts can become productive members of society.
 

With support from the family and the community, they are part of the solution to strengthen the family unit and the community.
The cost to treat them is also outweighed as a result.
 

"Finally, HIV does not recognise boundaries. If PLHIV are not provided effective prevention tools and treatment, they will infect their partners, spouses and possibly even their future children.
 

"We have seen how this tragedy has unfolded in many African states – leading even to national economic collapse." – January 5, 2015.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/anthony-sb-thanasayan/article/truth-about-drugs-hiv-aids#sthash.xUGD5B8a.dpuf