All buildings must cater to disabled by year-end

03/01/2002 The Star

PENANG: The Housing and Local Government Ministry hopes to attain 100% compliance towards its Guidelines on Building Requirements For Disabled Persons by the end of the year, Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.

He said so far, 88% of buildings with public access had complied with the guidelines, that were provided for under the Local Government Act’s Uniform Building By-Laws 1984.

He said the three-year grace period to owners of existing buildings had already ended a few years back, so it was only right for the remaining 12% of buildings to be equipped with the necessary facilities as soon as possible.

“Owners of existing buildings may be too contented with their building’s original structure to spend money on such facilities.

“But it is high time that they show that they care for the disabled,’’ Ong said after opening a technical workshop on “Accessibility by the Disabled” held at Universiti Sains Malaysia here yesterday.