Indonesians in Focus: Saharuddin

By Barrie | September 19th, 2007 | No Comments

Saharuddin Daming is committed to fighting for the rights of the disabled, who often have poorer standards of living than non-disabled people. His recent election as a member of the National Commission of Human Rights for the tenure of 2007-2012 has made him all the more determined to help.

Saharuddin, 39, has firsthand experience of discrimination because he is blind himself.

“In advanced countries like America, Australia and the U.K., the disabled are treated the same as anyone else — they have privileges and protection. But in Indonesia, they are marginalized and deprived of their rights,” Saharuddin said in early August at his rented house in Bumi Tamalanrea Permai, Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Saharuddin, who is undertaking a doctorate in law at the University of Hasanuddin, Makassar, is also working in his new capacity at the commission to secure legal rights for the disabled.

He has proposed the full-fledged revision of Law No. 4/1997 on the disabled through the ratification of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Saharuddin, a former member of the central board of the Indonesian Association for Persons with Disabilities in South Sulawesi (1994-2004), said it was hard for the disabled to find a job because they were considered unproductive and even a burden.

He said most doctors refused to issue disabled people a clean bill of health because they regarded them as sick.

Obstacles for them to participate in social activities include a lack of public facilities, such as wheelchair ramps and modified restrooms, he said.

Even human rights activists could be accused of bias against the disabled, Saharuddin said.

“The only ones who fight for the rights of people with disabilities are those who really understand their condition.”

Saharuddin said the commission currently only dealt with clear and acute violations of subsistence rights, neglecting “everyday” discrimination.

He said he could hardly believe he was going to be one of the 11 new commission members, considering there had been more than 300 applicants including retired military and police generals, academics and seasoned commission members.

Besides which, he was also afraid that his political views might affect his chances.

“Stepping into the legislature building made me feel really grateful. I was not sure I would pass — the other candidates had already made names for themselves, while I am only an ordinary blind man.”

He realizes people might question his suitability for a seat on the commission because of his political agenda and blindness. But he also knows that the disabled are quick to underestimate themselves and it is important to strive for other things.

Saharuddin first had problems with his eyes when he was 10 years old. He said his house was being renovated and dust particles got caught in his right eye. He also liked to read in the half-light of the evening. As a result, a year later his left eye was also affected. Surgery revealed he had a disease of the retina, a condition that was unstoppable and irreversible.

His blindness saddened him. But his family’s support made him strong and confident. Saharuddin, the youngest of five siblings, was a high achiever at school and also among the best students in his classes at university.

But still he had to struggle for acceptance. Saharuddin, who graduated from the A. Yapti School for Disabled People, said he had been the butt of jokes for years at high school. But this only made him stronger and he was able to prove his capability by finishing at the top of his class.

He said he was also treated unfairly after passing the exam to get into Hasanuddin University. The university accused him of cheating because it had not been notified a blind person would be taking the test.

He graduated from law school with thoughts of becoming an advocate, but nothing came easily for him. He took the exam and was certain he had done well. Yet, he was informed he had failed, which prompted him to send a letter of complaint to the Chief Justice, copies of which he also sent to the local council and the Makassar High Court. They reviewed his case and concluded he had in fact passed.

In his efforts to fight for the rights of the disabled, he sued in 1998 the South Sulawesi Education Agency, demanding it revoke its decision to prevent blind students from going to state high schools.

He also protested during the 2004 election, demanding that the general elections commission make a tactile voting template, embossed with braille, available to voters with visual impairments.

Saharuddin, who has two children, Fadhilah Istiqamah, 8, and Mufidatul Husna, 6, is assisted by his wife, Yayi Zaitun Asdy, and an employee, in carrying out his work as an advocate, a researcher and an activist.

They help him gather information on national and international events, study and write articles.

The many heartbreaking situations he has encountered have only strengthened his resolve to help the disabled.

“I will prove that people with disabilities are extraordinary individuals who should never be discriminated against.

“I hope my presence at the commission will motivate the disabled and make them aware that the country has opened the door for us, people with disabilities, to enter the public sphere. We must show them our strengths.”

Andi Hajramurni