Protecting the Well-being of the People with Disabilities in Achieving the Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals

As the nation is leaning towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it is pertinent and crucial to look into the plights faced by people with disabilities in this country. This study delves straight into the current socio-legal climate surrounding them. It adopts methods of content and critical analysis when analysing the data qualitatively. The findings show that even though the overall social acceptance and reception have improved over the years, some members of the people with disabilities community have faced unfair treatment during job scouting, job interviews or while at work. From a legal point of view, an ambiguity in a provision under the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 has resulted in inaccuracy and false interpretation by the local authorities, leading to poor and shoddy construction of public amenities for people with disabilities. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 in ensuring accessibility of public facilities for the people with disabilities remains questionable. In the concerted effort to achieve Goal No. 9 of developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure supporting economic development and human well-being and Goal No. 10 of reducing income inequality under the nation’s SDG, the above-mentioned socio-legal problems must be urgently addressed.


Introduction
People with disabilities, known also as the OKU or 'Orang Kurang Upaya', are always exposed to all sorts of challenges and obstacles in their daily lives.Disability can be described as a condition in which a person's functions and capabilities are reduced (Nur Dayana Mohd Khalil, Muhammad Shaberi, Dayang Puteri Nazirah, Azizah Mat Rashid & Azizah Mohd Rapini, 2022).Such 'disability' or 'incapacity' refers to one's physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual and mental health functions and weaknesses.Disabilities could either exist naturally at birth or occur due to lifetime incidents.Those who are suffering from any form of disability are called people or persons with disabilities, or simply the disabled (Charmilaa Krishnamoorthi, 2021).People with disabilities have been interpreted by the Action Plan for People with Disability 2016-2022 as a person with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory disabilities who, when faced with various obstacles, may not be able to fully and effectively engage in society.In addition, section 2 of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 defines people with disabilities as "those with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory deficiencies who, when interacting with various barriers, can restrict their full and effective participation in society" (Persons with Disabilities Act, 2008).
Various initiatives and efforts have been taken by relevant authorities and other parties to help their survival.However, not all efforts taken to facilitate people with disabilities are fruitful in eradicating these challenges and obstacles.This writing examines the various social challenges faced by people with disabilities in Malaysia in general.The writing then touches on the issue of accessibility to basic public facilities provided for people with disabilities from a legal perspective.
In protecting the well-being of people with disabilities, various social and legal predicaments facing people with disabilities must be overcome.It is extremely important to note that Malaysia, together with 24 other countries, has agreed on the initial sustainable development agenda set out by the United Nations during the United Nations Conference on 25th September 2015 (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023).The whole idea has since been developed and transformed into 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which have to be achieved by the participating countries by the year 2030.Thus, overcoming social and legal challenges faced by the people with disabilities in this country would certainly be in tandem with two of the goals set by the nation's Sustainable Development Goals.Goal No. 9 of the SDG aims at developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure in support of economic development and human well-being of the citizens, while Goal No. 10 strives to reduce income inequality among the working public in the country (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023; Charmilaa Krishnamoorti, Ahmad Azam Mohd Shariff, Mohamad Azhan Yahya and Muhammad Muqris Alif Zairiasdi, 2022).

Literature Reviews
A few past literatures have more or less touched on some problems and predicaments surrounding people with disabilities in Malaysia.For instance, Hasan Toran, T. A. M., Mohd Hanafi Mohd Yasin, Mohd Mokhtar Tahar and Nur Hazwani Hamzah (2010) in an online article entitled Pengetahuan dan Sikap Rakan Sebaya Terhadap Pelajar Kurang Upaya di Sebuah IPTA di Malaysia highlighted the issues of knowledge, attitude and awareness of Malaysian university students regarding the people with disabilities and challenges faced by them (Hasan Toran, Mohd Hanafi, Mohd Mokhtar and Nur Hazwani, 2010).However, the writing only covers social issues surrounding people with disabilities at an institution of higher learning and does not address the issues at the national level.  .However, the paper focuses on challenges faced by the visually impaired per se while again does not discuss directly any legal ambiguity that might be responsible for any lack of satisfactory public amenities and facilities.Last but not least, Laveena D'Mello, Dr Meena Monteiro, and B.M. Govindaraju (2017), in a paper on Psycho-Social Problems faced by Persons with Disability published in International Journal of Management Technology and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 2(2) delved into issues on psycho-social problems confronted by the people with disabilities.However, the paper deals with issues facing people with disabilities at a global scale and does not specifically address local issues (Laveena D'Mello, Meena Monteiro & B M Govindaraju 2017).
As opposed to all of the above literature, this writing generally touches on issues of social mistreatment of people with disabilities in Malaysia.Special references are made to the challenges, bias and prejudice that some members of the people with disabilities community have to endure during the process of job hunting and job interviews, as well as bias and prejudice at the workplace.It also specifically touches on legal ambiguity in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 as well as the ineffectiveness of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, which increases the challenges of providing people with disabilities-friendly facilities and amenities.

Methodology Framework
This legal study adopts a qualitative approach to identifying social and legal problems.Various data and materials are being cumulated via library research as well as through field study.It analyses methods of content and critical analysis when analysing the data qualitatively.Observation methods are also implemented when conducting analysis.Last but not least, processed data and information are qualitatively analysed when coming up with possible solutions to identified problems.

Results and Discussion
This writing identifies socio-legal problems and challenges faced by the people with disabilities in the country.It further identifies research findings and challenges confronting people with disabilities in Malaysia.It finally ends by proposing ways to improve these identified challenges.

Research Problem
The very existence of people with disabilities in Malaysia has always been acknowledged and cherished.Indeed, they have gradually flourished and become an integral part of the society.Some have even played active roles in contributing to the community socially and economically.The sociolegal climate in Malaysia has been receptive over the years as the public welcomes and acknowledges their contributions and well-being.That being said, there are, however, ongoing challenges and problems faced by these people with disabilities.Despite all social and legal protections provided, there are obvious kinks in their application and implementation.On the social side, some of these people with disabilities are still being discriminated against even while communicating and interacting socially with people without disabilities.On top of that, there are obvious problems for people with disabilities to secure jobs.In fact, finding jobs to ensure continuity and survival has proven to be a daunting task for such persons with disabilities (Hazlin Falina, Nurzakira Afnee, Norazla Abdul Wahab & Safura Saberi, 2015).Those who are able to secure job interviews are, instead, faced with discriminatory issues as they have to come up against prejudicial and biased treatments and circumstances.There is obvious stigma as well as sentiments of prejudice against the ability of people with disabilities to work.Such negative stigma and sentiment have not made their job quest any easier.Indeed, this has contributed to the high unemployment among them.For the people with disabilities who managed to secure jobs, there have also been instances and cases whereby they have been poorly treated at work (Azmah Othman & Rohana Jani, 2018).People with disabilities currently occupy only 0.29% of the government posts offered.One can only imagine the despair that they face in trying to secure any job if the figure of 40 thousand registered people with disabilities (visually impaired) recorded in 2019 is anything to go by (Zainora Mohammed, Nursyafiqah Ayuni Azhar, Nurul Iman Mohd Ludin, NorlizaMohamad Fadzil, Mohd.Harimi Abdul Rahman & Nor Haniza Abd Wahat 2021).On top of that, some of these public amenities are even inaccessible to them due to poor construction qualities and compatibilities.
On the legal front, some legal provisions are vague when defining the accessibility of public amenities for people with disabilities.Such legal ambiguity often results in inaccuracy and false interpretation by the local authorities.Hence, such a scenario leads to poor and shoddy construction of public amenities for them.In a nutshell, if these social and legal problems are left unattended, such socio-legal issues will continue to bug these people with disabilities persons and will hamper any positive stride and progress made by the people with disabilities over the years (Charmilaa Krishnamoorti, Ahmad Azam Mohd Shariff, Mohamad Azhan Yahya and Muhammad Muqris Alif Zairiasdi, 2022).
The above-mentioned social and legal plights would clearly jeopardise the achievement of the nation's Sustainable Development Goals.Goal No. 10 of the SDG, for instance, strives to reduce income inequality among the working public in Malaysia.It aims to improve and stabilise per capita income against household expenditure growth rates among citizens from the Bottom 40 group, which includes people with disabilities (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023).However, it has become evident that the challenges here are not only limited to the above stabilising act as we are left grappling with other social issues of biases and prejudice during job hunts, job interviews and workplace treatments involving people with disabilities (Hazlin Falina, Nurzakira Afnee, Norazla Abdul Wahab & Safura Saberi, 2015; Azmah Othman & Rohana Jani, 2018).The balancing act of improving on per capita income of the people with disabilities against household expenditure growth rates proves to be a challenge by itself.However, what proves to be an even bigger and more significant fight is ensuring fair and just treatment for people with disabilities during job hunting and interviews as well as at the workplace.If Goal No. 10 of the SDG is to be achieved for people with disabilities, these two-fold social predicaments must be equally addressed.Meanwhile, legal ambiguity resulting in inaccurate interpretation by the local authorities, which eventually leads to poorly and shoddily constructed public facilities and amenities (Charmilaa Krishnamoorthi, 2021), clearly hampers Goal No 9 of the SDG which aims at developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure in support of economic development and human well-being of the citizens (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023).

Research Findings on Challenges Confronting People with Disabilities in Malaysia
Based on the above research problem, the study has encountered some insightful findings.These social and legal findings can shed further light on the detailed scenarios and problems faced by persons with disabilities in Malaysia.These findings are further explained and enlightened below.The legislation was passed on 24 December 2007 and came into force on 7 July 2008.The Act recognises that disabilities faced by a person can be a never-ending affair.It is even acknowledged that any disability is also dependent and closely related to the attitude and environmental factors that restrict the participation of people with disabilities in society.The Act also recognises the importance of the accessibility of people with disabilities to the physical, social, economic, cultural, health and educational environment.It also acknowledges the importance of accessibility to information and communication.Indeed, the above forms of accessibility are needed to support the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society (Noorjannah, 2020).Since accessibility to the existing environment and basic facilities is essential for the survival of people with disabilities, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 Act was enacted and enforced to protect people with disabilities, thus making it easier for these people to live their daily lives.

Legislative Provisions Enacted and
Under the 2008 legislation, people with disabilities are entitled to equal opportunity, protection and assistance in all matters and circumstances.This is, however, subjected to limitations and restrictions as provided by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.The Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 provides for matters related to the registration, protection, rehabilitation, development and well-being of people with disabilities, as well as the establishment of the National Council for People with Disabilities and matters related thereto.There are five main parts and 46 sections under the Act.The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, through the Department of Social Welfare, has classified people with disabilities into seven categories, namely hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disabilities, learning problems, speech disabilities, mental disabilities and various disabilities (Persons with Disabilities Act, 2008).
In addition, the government's continuing support for people with disabilities has prompted Malaysia to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on July 19, 2010, with reservations to Articles 15 and 18.However, Malaysia has not signed the Optional Protocol to this Convention (SUHAKAM, 2019).The act of ratifying the CRPD is a proactive and positive step demonstrating Malaysia's willingness to enforce the fundamental rights contained in the CRPD in empowering people with disabilities in Malaysia.In terms of facilities, some provisions and by-laws have been enacted under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Street, Drainage and Building Act, 1974).This obligation can be seen through by-laws known as the Uniform Building by Laws 1984 or UBBL 1984.According to these by-laws, it is mandatory for all public buildings to provide facilities for people with disabilities.This provision obliges all new public buildings to provide access to entries and exits for people with disabilities.In fact, the Act also has stressed the need to provide facilities such as people with disabilities-friendly toilets (Noorjannah, 2020).
Although the government has recognised and given various access and rights to people with disabilities through various social and legal initiatives, its implementation should be improved and enhanced, especially in providing public facilities for people with disabilities.For example, although there is a provision that requires the provision of accessible public facilities, such provision is vague and ambiguous in nature.Therefore, the empowerment and enforcement of laws to help people with disabilities should be improved on and enhanced under the legislation.This is because the facilities provided are still insufficient, thus limiting their movement and accessibility.Such facilities should be added (or improved on) according to the suitability of each type of disability.Only in this way can the authorities provide protection and comfort to people with disabilities to ensure a better life for them (Charmilaa Krishnamoorti, Ahmad Azam Mohd Shariff, Mohamad Azhan Yahya and Muhammad Muqris Alif Zairiasdi, 2022).

Social Predicaments Confronting the People with Disabilities in Malaysia
Disability is not only gauged from the effects of physical or mental disability of the people with disabilities.In fact, it is also assessed from attitudes and environments that prevent their full and effective participation in society.The right of equality in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia should provide equal opportunity for people with disabilities to live in peace and dignity without being discriminated against (Hasan Toran, Mohd Hanafi, Mohd Mokhtar and Nur Hazwani, 2010).
However, there are various obstacles faced by people with disabilities that limit their involvement and interaction in the social life of the community.The factor of self-incapacity is indeed the main obstacle faced by people with disabilities in their social and economic lives.Unfortunately, poverty and discrimination are the other two obstacles that people with disabilities have to contend with in their various daily affairs.According to the opinion of Md.Tah (2014), the people with disabilities are generally easily discriminated against and susceptible to all sorts of persecutions and harassment by various parties, whether at home or abroad (H Toran, 2010; Charmilaa Krishnamoorthi, 2021; Nur Dayana Mohd Khalil, Muhammad Shaberi, Dayang Puteri Nazirah, Azizah Mat Rashid & Azizah Mohd Rapini, 2022).
In addition, the lack of self-confidence is also a barrier for people with disabilities to integrate themselves well into community life.There are times when people with disabilities suffer from poor self-confidence and are of the view that they are unfit or unable to participate in any activities and events in ordinary society.In some cases, such low self-esteem escalates when family members are embarrassed by them or their conditions.Such a scenario is not uncommon as some family members do feel inferior when having children or family members with people with disabilities status (Laveena D'Mello, Meena Monteiro & B M Govindaraju 2017).
Moreover, physical barriers have also become challenges that limit the accessibility of public amenities and buildings to people with disabilities (Laveena D'Mello, Meena Monteiro & B M Govindaraju 2017).Such physical barriers have normally resulted in them facing various problems when accessing the normal public amenities and facilities provided for the general public.Admittedly, the task of improving the quality of life of people with varying degrees and types of disabilities is a daunting one.Tackling and handling this delicate issue must be done wisely and with such sensitivity.Failure to do so would ultimately result in continuous neglect of people with disabilities (Masango, 2018) while simultaneously affecting their opportunities for education and employment (Nur Dayana Mohd Khalil et al., 2022).
According to H Toran (2010) in his study entitled 'Knowledge and Attitude of Peers towards Disabled Students at IPTA in Malaysia', some students possess good attitudes and positive views towards students with disabilities.However, their level of education, knowledge and exposure to persons with disabilities are poor.Knowledge of persons with disabilities and their rights to life and protection is important.It could become the catalyst for the future full reception and acceptance of people with disabilities in the community.According to Samsudin's study (2002), insufficient knowledge would hinder a community from making positive decisions on an issue.Likewise, a society without sufficient knowledge of people with disabilities and their rights to protection for their lives and well-being will disrupt the process of acceptance and reception of people with disabilities into their social lives (Hasan Toran, Mohd Hanafi, Mohd Mokhtar and Nur Hazwani, 2010).
Without adequate knowledge, the attitude of the community towards people with disabilities may differ in that they will be given different treatment compared to people without disabilities.Inadequacy of realisation and knowledge could also result in the community regarding people with disabilities as pitiful while mocking, underestimating and doubting their capabilities and abilities.Such a scenario could torment the life of people with disabilities, causing them to be further excluded from the social life of the community (Nur Dayana Mohd Khalil, Muhammad Shaberi, Dayang Puteri Nazirah, Azizah Mat Rashid & Azizah Mohd Rapini, 2022).
It is unclear whether social segregation of the people with disabilities as the above happens in Malaysia.However, there are indeed several separate reports claiming discrimination against people with disabilities while they are socially interacting in public.There have also been reports claiming the discrimination that people with disabilities face in their quests for jobs.Indeed, it has been claimed that it has become a daunting task for people with disabilities to secure jobs (Hazlin Falina, Nurzakira

Ambiguous Legal Provisions and Lack of Enforcement Hamper Accessibility of People with Disabilities Persons to Public Infrastructures and Facilities
The Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 recognises that disability is an ever-evolving situation.It results from the interaction between people with disabilities with attitudes and environmental barriers that restrict their full and effective participation in society.Thus, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 was enacted to remove external 'barriers' to ensure that accessibility of facilities, amenities, services, and public buildings, as well as public transport, is well taken care of.This is provided for under Chapter 1: Promotion and Development of Quality of Life and Wellbeing of the Disabled (Disabled Persons Act, 2008).
In addressing the disability of people with disabilities, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 recognises the importance of accessibility of people with disabilities to the physical, social, economic, and cultural environment.Specifically, quality accessibility to health and education, as well as information and communication, is given great attention in enabling full and effective participation of people with disabilities in the community.The Act in total consists of 46 sections comprising five parts, namely, Initiation, National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Appointment of the Chief Registrar, Registration of Persons with Disabilities, Promotion and Development of Quality of Life and Wellbeing of Persons with Disabilities and finally General Matters.
Article 2 of this Act defines several important terms relating to people with disabilities.For example, "people with disabilities" are defined as those with a lack of physical, mental, intellectual or sensory expectations who, when interacting with various obstacles, can restrict their full and effective participation in society.This writing focuses on Part IV of the Act, which is related to the Promotion and Development of Quality of Life and Wellbeing of the people with disabilities.Chapter 1 of the Act touches on the rights of people with disabilities to accessibility, which includes Article 26 (access to facilities, amenities, services and public buildings), Article 27 (access to public transport facilities), Article 28 (access to education) and Article 29 (access to employment) (Charmilaa Krishnamoorthi, 2021).The above provisions reflect the seriousness of the government's initiatives in creating, improving and empowering public facilities for people with disabilities in the country.In addition to the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008, there are several other legislations that also play a role in creating public facilities and infrastructure for people with disabilities in the country.
The law sets out responsibilities and roles for Malaysian local authorities in constructing public buildings, facilities and amenities.There are 151 local authorities in Peninsular and East Malaysia.According to the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), 98 local authorities in Peninsular Malaysia are responsible for planning and organising.On the other hand, local authorities in Sabah and Sarawak are governed by the Ordinance, which mandates the state government to act as the organising authority.The Federal Government proposes and formulates policies, regulatory requirements, standards and guidelines to be adopted and gazetted by the state government.Malaysia also provides for by-laws.planning and providing facilities for people with disabilities in matters pertaining to access to roads and transport.The Act also emphasizes that permission must be obtained from the relevant authorities in roads construction and drainage installations provided that it does not interfere with the daily lives of the residents (Road Transport Act, 1987).
The next legislation used as a guideline in planning and providing facilities for the people with disabilities is the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133).This Act contains provisions relating to the construction of roads, drains and buildings within the local authority area in Peninsular Malaysia.The enforcement of its regulations must be in line with the technical standards set out under the said legislation (Street, Drainage and Building Act, 1974).
The Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) was amended in 1991 to include new by-laws.Based on these by-laws, buildings built must be accessible to people with disabilities, and previous buildings built before the provisions must also be equipped with facilities accessible to people with disabilities (Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974).According to these new amendments, facilities provided for people with disabilities must comply with the new Malaysian standard relating to the Code of Practice on Access for Disabled Persons to Buildings (Charmilaa Krishnamoorti, Ahmad Azam Mohd Shariff, Mohamad Azhan Yahya and Muhammad Muqris Alif Zairiasdi, 2022).The new Malaysian standard was issued by the Malaysian Institute of Industrial Standards and Research or SIRIM in 1991.This new standard code oversees the design of special facilities in the building so that it can be used easily and safely by people with disabilities.The main focus of the SIRIM code of practice is the specifications of standards and characteristics of the facilities of the people with disabilities, such as sizes, types, materials, and designs that are suitable and safe for the people with disabilities.For instance, the construction of facilities for people with disabilities, such as ramps, hand-rails, stairs and stairs, toilets, bars, signs and symbols, must adhere to the new Guidelines and Standards for the Planning of Disabled Facilities under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia (JPBD, 2000).
It turns out that enacting the term "accessibility" in the legislation does not guarantee the accessibility of these public facilities to people with disabilities.The reality is that people with disabilities still face daily challenges in accessing all public facilities and infrastructure even though various regulatory provisions of the law have been put in place.For example, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 recognises the importance of access to the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, health, information and communication that allows people with disabilities to engage in society more effectively.Article 26 states that people with disabilities have the right to access and use these public facilities.However, the term 'accessibility' to facilities, amenities, services, public buildings, and access to public transport remains vague and unclear.This is because the provision emphasises the freedom of people with disabilities to access facilities, amenities, and services, as well as public buildings and transport as long as it does not harm them.However, the above provisions fail to clearly state the need to create a user-friendly infrastructure and public facilities for people with disabilities (Hirwan Jasbir Jaafar, Harlida Abdul Wahab & Hamiza Omar, 2013).Thus, there is a lacuna in the provision.
The effectiveness of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 in ensuring accessibility of public facilities for people with disabilities remains questionable.This was proved when news reported a story on "OKU-friendly infrastructure in mosques became less" Online News on November 7, 2015.The report states that not all places of worship, especially mosques in the country, provide infrastructure, facilities and equipment that are people with disabilities-friendly, making it easier for them to follow the activities on the premises (Hasliza Hassan 2015).In view of the amended Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Street, Drainage and Building Act, 1974), which includes new bylaws on specifications on construction and accessibility of public buildings.facilities, amenities and transportation for people with disabilities, the above-reported news on the lack of people with disabilities-friendly public facilities should never have surfaced.The authors further argue that such a scenario has illustrated the lacuna in the provision as explained beforehand, and such lacuna encourages authorities to become complacent and languid when constructing public buildings, necessities and amenities.
Current enforcement mechanisms must also be strengthened.It goes without saying, though, that the smooth-running of these mechanisms will also depend on the smooth implementation of the federalism concept (Nurhafilah Musa, Rasyikah Md Khalid and Faridah Jalil, 2022).Truly, lack of law enforcement on accessibility by people with disabilities to public facilities can lead to neglect of their rights (Bahari Ferlis Bullare, Takom Lineker Ak, Mutang Jasmine Adela, Madlan Lailawati & Malek Mohd Dahlan, 2016).When the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 was enacted by a committee headed by Dato Mah Hassan, attention and emphasis were meant to be given to the enforcement mechanism as "acts without enforcement mechanisms would be a failure".Indeed, enforcement mechanisms were highlighted in the legislation, and such provisions should have been capable of protecting people with disabilities (Persons with Disabilities Act, 2008).The problem here is obviously not the lack of enforcement mechanisms but rather the lack of empowerment of these mechanisms.In other words, the existing legal provisions have failed to give a sufficient boost in empowering local authorities to monitor whether or not each construction of the public building, facility and amenity has indeed complied with the minimum standards set out by law for people with disabilities.According to Ch'ng (2010), such a scenario is caused by the absence of enforcement mechanisms in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.
In addition, the limited powers of the national or state councils and the absence of specific legal provisions on such powers in the administration of any government further complicate the task of monitoring all provisions and construction of public facilities and infrastructure for people with disabilities in Malaysia.In this regard, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 does not specifically provide for the powers of the National Council to act, as any action or decision cannot be taken arbitrarily.As a result, the powers of the National Council became limited and could not act outside its authority to uphold the rights of people with disabilities.In the meantime, although the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities has been ratified (amidst some reservations on Article 15 and 18), it has not yet been fully implemented in the country.

Ratification of International Conventions on People with Disabilities
The Malaysian government ratified the United Nations Convention (UN) on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 19 July 2010, with reservations on Articles 15 and 18.However, Malaysia has not signed the Optional Protocol for this Convention (SUHAKAM, 2019).However, the initial ratification of the CRPD is a proactive and positive action demonstrating Malaysia's willingness to exercise the fundamental rights contained in the CRPD to empower people with disabilities in Malaysia.
Malaysia signed a Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asia and Pacific Region on 16 May 1994 (Ministry of Women's Development, 2019).However, the culmination of the initiative that provided support and welfare assistance to people with disabilities in Malaysia was the drafting of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.The said legislation, enacted and implemented ever since, has indeed recognised the rights and equitable treatment of people with disabilities.All of the above efforts and ratifications have put Malaysia on the right track to build, improve and empower public facilities and infrastructure for the well-being of people with disabilities in Malaysia.

Accessibility to Public Facilities for People with Disabilities: Evaluations and Proposed Solutions
The writing identifies the various social and legal challenges faced by people with disabilities daily.These obstacles and challenges are never-ending at the moment.In general, it is recommended that the authorities strengthen the educational aspect of people with disabilities.This is to ensure that people with disabilities become aware of their rights in their daily lives.The government needs to strengthen this aspect to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind in the modernisation of ISDRS-2023 IOP Conf.Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1304 (2024) 012006 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1304/1/01200610 life.In the meantime, the education of the general public should also be improved.This ensures that the community is knowledgeable and sensitive to the rights, needs and difficulties faced by people with disabilities in their daily lives.
The public and private authorities and sectors should also be well educated on the protection of the life and well-being of people with disabilities.Such education aims to eradicate any form of bias and discrimination in a job-seeking environment.There is a need to raise awareness to reduce the ignorance and prejudice that exists towards people with disabilities.For example, employees or employers should be trained to provide good and equal treatment to people with disabilities.In addition, professional bodies and educational institutions should introduce accessibility as the main component in the training curriculum in art, construction, design and marketing.The application of accessibility components in the training curriculum can educate the trainees to focus on the accessibility of people with disabilities in the future construction of public facilities, amenities and infrastructures.
Furthermore, the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 should be coordinated with the Convention.As such, the Act should be amended to ensure that the provisions are always on par with the convention and are complied with by all Malaysians.The authors are aware of the various efforts taken by the government, local authorities, and private agencies in constructing, improving and empowering public facilities for people with disabilities.Indeed, such efforts may be time-consuming and costly.However, these efforts and commitments should be continuously carried out in line with the awareness of the government, the private sector, and the Malaysian community.In fact, certainly, the future looks bright and optimistic as we seek further improvements in the implementation and enforcement of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.Indeed, its success depends heavily on good governance (Rasyikah Md Khalid and Ainul Jaria Maidin, 2022).
The success of all initiatives depends on capabilities, technological readiness, knowledge and cultural sensitivity.Moreover, the achievement of an accessible environment requires international and national engagement and cooperation, including international organisations, national governments, designers, manufacturers of technology and products as well as people with disabilities and their organisations.
Any policies to be developed hereafter should meet the needs of all persons with disabilities.
There is an urgent need to monitor and evaluate the implementation of laws and standards for accessibility.An independent monitoring body comprising representatives of the authorities and representatives of the people with disabilities can be established to monitor every progress in ensuring that the life and well-being of the people with disabilities are well protected and taken care of.With such ongoing monitoring, this body should also be proactive in identifying ongoing problems and suggesting future improvements, which will depend on good governance (Rasyikah Khalid and Ainul Jaria, 2022).
Both provisions and implementations of new or existing policies should adopt a universal design that is people with disabilities-friendly.With this in mind, an integration approach and inclusive policy should be adopted in providing facilities for people with disabilities.Furthermore, social sustainability should be treated equally to the economy and the environment.The concept of universal design should be adopted by providing and constructing facilities, amenities, and environments that are friendly to both people without disabilities and people with disabilities.
Finally, clear provisions should be included in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 to ensure the accessibility of infrastructures and public facilities to people with disabilities in Malaysia.The new provisions should clearly and firmly outline the obligations of the government and the private sectors to build, improve and empower every construction and monitoring of public facilities and infrastructure in the country.The improvement of the law is indeed a catalyst for further improvements in the preservation of the rights and well-being of people with disabilities in Malaysia.

Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, the duty and responsibility of providing a conducive environment for people with disabilities falls on all of us.The surrounding community should take the initiative in accepting and interacting with people with disabilities in social life.In addition, people with disabilities must be afforded fair and just treatment during job hunts, job interviews, and the workplace.The authorities must also undertake initiatives to develop basic facilities and infrastructures for people with disabilities.These necessary steps must be taken to ensure that the lives and well-being of people with disabilities are protected.It is extremely important to overcome the above-mentioned challenges and predicaments in the nation's quest to achieve Goal No. 9 and Goal No. 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

5 The
Passed to Facilitate the Life and Well-being of the People with Disabilities in Malaysia ISDRS-2023 IOP Conf.Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1304 (2024) 012006 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1304/1/012006Parliament of Malaysia has enacted and passed the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.
Conf.Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1304 (2024) 012006 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1304/1/0120067 Afnee, Norazla Abdul Wahab & Safura Saberi, 2015).Such prejudice against people with disabilities and their ability to work should end, and it should end right now.In fact, past studies have illustrated that people with disabilities are the most left behind in terms of development and rights protection globally, and this could partly be caused by social bias, discrimination and segregation.The study conducted by Howard and O'Grady et al. (1999) (2004) held that people with disabilities are the most disadvantaged in the community.Overall, based on the global scenario, it is clear that people with disabilities are still lagging behind in various aspects of development and well-being protection (Laveena D'Mello et al., 2017; Masango, 2018).
On another level, Hirwan Jasbir bin Jaafar, Harlida Abdul Wahab, and Hamiza Omar (2013) touched on the rights of people with disabilities under the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 but focused mainly on the scenario in the state of Perlis (Hirwan Jasbir Jaafar, Harlida Abdul Wahab & Hamiza Omar, 2013).Meanwhile, Hazlin Falina Rosli, Safura Ahmad Sabri, Norazla Abdul Wahab and Nurzakira Afnee Zakari (2015) in a proceeding on Kesedaran Golongan Majikan Terhadap Orang Kurang Upaya (Oku) Di Malaysia: Melalui Perspektif Media at the 2nd International Conference on Management and Muamalah 2015 (2nd ICoMM) on 16th -17th November 2015 tackled an issue on the awareness among employers regarding the people with disabilities in Malaysia (Hazlin, 2015).However, the paper does not venture too much into legal challenges, particularly pertaining to lacuna in any particular legal provision, which might hamper any effort towards providing better facilities for the OKU.Zainora Mohammed, Nursyafiqah Ayuni Azhar, Nurul Iman Mohd Ludin, NorlizaMohamad Fadzil, Mohd.Harimi Abdul Rahman and Nor Haniza Abd Wahat (2021), in a writing on Pengalaman Mencari Pekerjaan dan Pengalaman Bekerja dalam Kalangan Orang Kurang Upaya Penglihatan di Lembah Klang published in The Malaysian Journal of Social Administration focused on past experiences by visually impaired citizens during job searching and when at work place (Zainora Mohammed, Nursyafiqah Ayuni Azhar, Nurul Iman Mohd Ludin, NorlizaMohamad Fadzil, Mohd.Harimi Abdul Rahman & Nor Haniza Abd Wahat 2021 The Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, for instance, is enforced by local authorities and applies to all types of buildings built in local authority areas (Town and Country Planning Act, 1976).