KOTA KINABALU: While it is imperative to maintain the uniqueness of building architectures, builders must not forget to meet the needs of all levels of society in the country by ensuring that their project provided a barrier-free environment for all.
According to Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, during the launch of the Access Audit Workshop in the Built Environment 2014 held at the City Hall’s Learning Centre near here yesterday, those in the building industry need to include facilities for the disabled in all their development projects.
Jainab said that this workshop was geared towards inculcating such awareness so that the disabled may enjoy the many services rendered by the government.
She said that under one of the strategies outlined for the Persons with Disabilities Act was to ensure a barrier-free environment both within a building and outside of it, at work areas, housing areas as well as at public compounds.
The minister also said that the Vision 2020′s seventh challenges was for the creation of a loving community that places the needs of others above their own.
Jainab also mentioned that the 1Malaysia concept was also geared towards achievements based on meeting the needs of the people through its slogan ‘People first, Performance now.’
“Hence, the government endeavours to deliver its best services through the access audit by ensuring that architectures consider the needs of the disabled, the elderly and children,” she said.
According to her, there are two objectives that could be realised through the Audit Access — firstly, for the government transformation to become more effective in the delivery of its services and its responsibility towards its productivity; and secondly, to spearhead Malaysia towards producing citizens who are developed and united and who enjoy high standard of living.
The text of her speech was read by Sabah Welfare Department deputy director Mohamad Noor Wahab.
Meanwhile, the director general of Standards Malaysia, Fadilah Baharin who was represented by the department’s strategic management director, Hussalmizzan Hussain, said that Standards Malaysia had organised more than 20 workshops on Access Audit throughout the country.
She said that these workshops have impacted positively and starting this year, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall has set the requirement that all building construction would be required to abide by the Malaysian Standards as a pre-requisite for all certificate of fitness (CF) applications.
She urged the Kota Kinabalu City Hall to do the same.