23 June 2014: A roundtable discussion took place at the Parliament with Ms. Carina Klein, an official from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and former Senator Bathmavathi Krishnan. Ms. Klein was highly interested in issues related to increasing the employability of persons with disabilities.
12 August 2014: The Institute on Disability and Public Policy for the ASEAN Region (IDPP) invited Anthony Chong and Lee Tur Chung to participate in a high-level multi-stakeholder roundtable at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The discussion focused on the critical role of accessible information and communication technologies in strengthening inclusive education policy in Malaysia and across ASEAN. Participants included representatives from government, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
13 December 2014: Amir Hamidi and Marzuki Ong attended the Focus Group Discussion on Disability Policy in Malaysia, organised by Universiti Malaya at Hotel Crystal Crown, Petaling Jaya. Themed “Streamlining Inclusive Development for People With Disabilities, Malaysia,” the event aimed to generate recommendations across five areas: education, human resources, environment, mobility facilities, and health.
The discussion was divided into groups based on these areas. Amir Hamidi joined the Education group, where, with the assistance of a sign language interpreter, he discussed challenges faced by Deaf students and proposed recommendations for presentation. Marzuki Ong had to leave the event after noon due to health issues.
12 January 2015: MyBIM participated in the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) workshop on Inclusive Education and Disability Policy, held at Multimedia University. The workshop aimed to introduce university staff to disability-inclusive education, highlight tools to support students with disabilities, and explore training strategies for instructors. MyBIM representatives, Anthony and Sariah Ibrahim, along with DeafMT representatives, shared specific strategies for teaching and supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students during the “Triple Track Learning and Support” session.
1 November 2015: MyBIM held a discussion titled “National Budget Review 2016” in Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Kuala Lumpur, attended by leaders from Deaf associations including MSDeaf, PRISMA, MASDYA, KLSD, APDSC, and a WFD Asia representative. Moderated by Deputy President Amir Hamidi, with Lim Anuar as recorder, the session allowed participants to voice support and concerns about budget allocations for the Deaf and OKU community. The discussion concluded with an agreement to enhance collaboration on advocacy and solutions.
19 November 2019: the Workshop on Inclusive Electoral Reforms in Malaysia, organised by the National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM), focused on addressing the challenges faced by persons with disabilities (PWD) in participating in the electoral process. Recognising that many PWD encountered obstacles—such as inaccessible polling stations, voting materials that were not disability-friendly, and limited independent voting options—the workshop aimed to explore strategies to make the electoral process more inclusive.
This initiative brought together representatives from disability advocacy groups to discuss potential reforms that could improve accessibility and support for PWD during elections. The workshop underscored the importance of ensuring that all citizens, regardless of disability, could participate equally in the democratic process and exercise their right to vote without barriers.
6–7 March 2020: The Promise 51 Workshop & Consultation to Enhance the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PP51) was held in Kuala Lumpur, organised by the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR). This event brought together experts, Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to address violations of rights affecting persons with disabilities (PWD) in Malaysia. A key focus was reviewing the Malaysian Persons with Disabilities Act 2008, evaluating its limitations, and proposing reforms to strengthen protections for the PWD community.
Key activities included reviewing case studies, conducting group discussions, and consulting on gaps in the Act and potential amendments. Participants underscored the need for stronger anti-discrimination measures, improved accessibility, and increased PWD representation in policy development. The workshop’s findings will contribute to a set of recommendations aimed at fostering a more inclusive society for PWD in Malaysia.
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