OKU woman suffers assault, insult after being accused of faking blindness

JOHOR BARU: Visually-impaired Noraslinda Rajoni today claimed that she has been assaulted, insulted and chased away by members of the public after her picture went viral on social media and she was accused of masquerading as a blind person to reap profit from selling tissue papers.
Noraslinda, who makes end meet by selling tissue papers, now dared not go out to work following the threats and insults hurled at her.
"Now, I dread facing the public because some people had even threatened to poke my eyes. I was hit from behind once and verbally abused while I was selling tissue papers.
"The repercussion is not on me alone but on all my visually-impaired friends who are now being regarded as cheaters when we are actually working hard to sell tissue papers as it is indeed our source of income," she told reporters here today.
Noraslinda, who was born with visual impairment in B2 category (severe short sightedness) explained that her right eye was totally blind, while her left eye could only see bright colours.
"I was born with visual impairment, my late father Rajuni@ Rajimin Moin, 70, and mother, Asiah Mahmod, 67, were also visually-impaired," she added.
Residing in Kampung Aman in Larkin, Noraslinda conceded that she had deposited RM14,000 into her account at a bank in Bandar Baru Uda here on Dec 30 last year, but insisted that not all the money belonged to her.
"Only RM3,000 of the money belongs to me, while the rest belongs to my second son, who also sells tissue papers, and my OKU friends who share my account," she said.
Noraslinda has four children, but only her eldest, Mohamad Adzmierul Aizat Jafri, 25, was born normal and now a military personnel, while the other three — Mohamad Adzmierul Izwan Jafri, 23, Siti Nor Amyliya Natasha Jafri, 20, and Nur Shazlin Fatihah Shamsol Azli, 13, — were also born with visual impairment.
"Saying that I fake blindness is slander because I have the Persons With Disabilities (OKU) card and I don't cheat the public, I don't beg for money, I sell tissue papers which I bought with a capital of over RM500," she explained.
Meanwhile, Visually-Impaired Entrepreneur Development Organisation (Perkum) deputy president Mohammad Faiz Asangku Abdullah said Perkum was in the midst of seeking legal advice to take the next cause of action against the bank staff who disclosed and disseminated the victim's personal details.
"The staff's action is highly regrettable because it is unethical and he or she no right to disclose the details of the victim's account or even to take pictures and video of her.
"The staff could have reported to the Social Welfare Department(JKM) here if he or she thinks that the victim is cheating, but not by making wild accusation like this," he said. — Bernama