All buildings ordered to be made disabled-friendly

04/12/2003 The Star By Foong Pek Yee

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ordered that all buildings be made disabled-friendly.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said Abdullah wanted to ensure that the disabled had convenient and safe access into all buildings as required by law.

Ong said the Prime Minister had raised his concern at last week’s Cabinet meeting after “close observations and comparisons” on buildings he had visited.

“The Prime Minister is always mesra rakyat (cares for the people) and this caring part of him, which is highly commendable, has led to his focus on the needs of the disabled.

“I want to remind again all building owners to strictly comply to the Uniform Building (Amendment) Bylaws (UBBL) 1991 and guidelines on disabled-friendly requirements in buildings,” Ong said in an interview at his office here yesterday.

Ong pointed out that yesterday was the International Day of Disabled Persons and the Prime Minister’s call was very meaningful.

He said all states in the peninsula had gazetted the amended UBBL by 1996, Sarawak in 2001 while Sabah was in the midst of doing so.

Ong said feedback from local authorities showed that 98% of building plans submitted last year had complied with the bylaws.

He reminded all owners to comply with the bylaws within three years from the date of gazette, including completed buildings, those under construction or plans submitted and approved prior to the gazette.

Ong said there were some 30 requirements to make the buildings disabled-friendly, including ramps, step ramps, pathways, stairs, doorways, grab bars, ground floor surfaces, lifts, toilets, basins, bathrooms, parking space and alarm system.

Buildings under this bylaw include offices, banks, post offices, department stores, supermarkets, administrative and commercial buildings, car parking buildings, factories, hospitals, medical centres, clinics, restaurants, concert halls, theatres, cinemas, and buildings on education, culture and science, hostels, hotels and other residential buildings.