Disabled drivers cry foul over fake parking stickers

Disabled drivers cry foul over fake parking stickers

It appears that disabled drivers are finding it harder and harder to park in a space designated for them, as fake parking stickers begin to hit the open market, according to The Star.

The English language daily reported that members of the Damai Disabled Person Association had complained of able-bodied drivers with such stickers taking disabled parking spots in several locations across Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley, particularly in shopping malls and at commercial areas.

These fake stickers are said to be sold openly at several hardware shops at a price of between RM7 and RM20 each. By contrast, authentic stickers could only be obtained from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) after an assessment of the condition of the applicant, said Damai Disabled Person Association Malaysia president V Murugeswaran.

“We are sad that there is also lack of enforcement by the local authorities. It seems that the irresponsible drivers are not worried about being fined,” he said, adding that the authorities should also mete higher penalties to deter other drivers from parking in disabled spaces.

handicap-oku-abuse-parking-lot

“We hope the authorities can also consider introducing a system similar in Germany or other countries where a machine will be able to send photos of vehicles without proper stickers immediately to the police or the local authorities,” he said.

The Star surveyed the area and found a few hardware stores selling disabled stickers to the public, despite the fact that only the JPJ is authorised to issue them. A shopkeeper at one store in Bangsar said that it stocked a variety of parking stickers that anyone could just walk in and buy. “We sell them for about RM10 to RM20,” he said.

Sunway Shopping Malls CEO HC Chan, who also serves as an adviser of the Malaysian Shopping Mall Association, said that the use of disabled parking lots was based on a trust system. “If the sticker is seen, there is little that can be done. But if guards see a healthy person parking in the OKU space, they will take action,” he said.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • aqeef on Mar 11, 2016 at 10:41 am

    #JustMalaysianDriversThing

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 0
    • supaOKU on Mar 11, 2016 at 1:46 pm

      sedih.. #onlyInMalaysia.

      EPF to pump RM1.3b into MBSB

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
      • Same L0rrrr on Mar 11, 2016 at 3:42 pm

        When you get a Proton or kimchi, your are financially disabled.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 14
    • Michael Yong on Mar 11, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      Real bodohs the people who complain. Hello Murugeswaran, my dad is OKU but I drive the car. Most of the time I drop him at shop entrance. Then I go and park the car.

      Please lah Muru, use your brain a bit. Minister park in OKU, you all keep quiet like mouse. So scared to say anything.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 32
      • ben yap on Mar 12, 2016 at 9:29 am

        than ask your dad to sit uber la since it is only a drop-off…. since u drop and pick him up, you should park at normal parking lot.

        Bodo punya maikai (chicken seller in canton)

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
      • kadajawi (Member) on Mar 12, 2016 at 9:58 pm

        You don’t need to park in an OKU location if you drop him first. Park in an OKU location, help your dad out of the car and go with him. Only then you should be allowed to use such a spot.

        People who do abuse these stickers or just park on such a location without permission should be fined heavily. A few thousand minimum.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • FIST (Member) on Mar 11, 2016 at 10:48 am

    Some Malaysian drivers are just sampah.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 32 Thumb down 1
  • Malaysian on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:15 am

    some ppl are really OKU who buy the sticker from hardware shop (Otak Kurang Upaya).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 0
  • wiwiwiwiwiw on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:16 am

    Lets face it, these handicapped parking space are used by ugly VVIP wannabes

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
  • concern citizen. on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:21 am

    “If the sticker is seen, there is little that can be done. But if guards see a healthy person parking in the OKU space, they will take action,”.

    sometime, the guard need to check overall. in some event, the car owner is OKU but the driver is not.
    if this event happen,
    1) if only healthy driver drive OKU car, then advise them to park at normal lots. not fair to real OKU ppl.

    2) if driver OKU, and the real OKU is passenger, then is ok to let them park at OKU slot. sometimes is son or daughter who dun own a car and drive their parents car to bring them for a walk or something.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
  • karma on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:30 am

    you know what? people with no disability parking inside a car park for disable is like cursing themselves to be disable, one day they will become disable and then they will know, maybe they can’t even drive anymore.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 29 Thumb down 0
  • Henry on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Disgusting. This is taking “kiasu” too far.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • seancorr (Member) on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Scumbags hope they rot in hell for causing distress to other people

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1
  • shawal on Mar 11, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Be careful for what you wish for…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • common thing in Malaysia on Mar 11, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    This is very common la in Malaysia.

    Always see normal people park at disable parking.

    If the authorities want to take action with loads of $$$$$ go to the Ara Damansara Tesco. Everyone there who is not OKU likes to park at the OKU parking.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  • azrai on Mar 11, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    They are to disable actually. Mental disablement, disable to make a good judgement, disable to learn other’s needs.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • Nit Disable on Mar 11, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    I have a question. I am not disable nor my wife. But one of my kid is. We never use a disable parking spot before. Someone with a disable kid told me that we should put a disable sticker and we can use the disable parking spot whenever we have our kid with us. My question, is this correct?

    I never consider this option until my kid grows up. Imagine that when my wife is alone with my kid and she have to carry my heavy grown up kid all the way to the building by herself. It is not easy I tell you. Its like carrying a cement bag for 300m or so depending on how far you park.

    Come back to my question. Should we use the disable parking spot or not?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 2
  • Mr Fakta on Mar 11, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    I hope that those normal healthy person who parked at OKU parking or buy a sticker just to park there become OKU themselves

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • Mohd Faiz on Mar 11, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    I think ar the goverman must force all shopping malls to build minimum one whole level of parking space for OKU one. And on top of that, one whole level of Ladies Parking like that one. these special parking floor are closely monitored by well trained enforcement units.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • UMW toyota on Mar 11, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    even JPJ fortuner also park OKU space..got photo at FB to proff

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • OKUdude on Mar 12, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    Dekat Pavillion KL almost 99% OKU parking taken by these Otak Kurang Upaya ppl. Sigh

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Flight on Mar 14, 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Certainly we should rely on the authorities to take appropriate action on such indiscriminate parking. However, as this has obviously been shown to be unreliable, should we shame these people and have their license plates be available all to see?
    As an example, on the above picture, the license plate should not be pixelated.
    Is there a website hosting such driver shaming? this should include indiscriminate parking on family and spots for women only drivers.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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