Islam perspective on people with disabilities (PWDS): what do you think?

An ongoing debate centers on the use of the Malay terms "Orang Kurang Upaya" (OKU) or "Orang Kelainan Upaya" to describe this minority group. The goal is to make documentation procedures easier to ensure that all development plans and aids can be delivered efficiently and fully. The purpose of introducing this phrase is not to cast People with Disabilities (PWDs) in a negative light or to discredit their existence or rights. A person is considered disabled under the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development if they have a long-term impairment in physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory abilities when confronted with different obstacles that can limit their full participation in society, as stated in Act 685, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT 2008 (2014). One definition of a disabled person is "someone who is unable to determine for themselves to fully or partially obtain the normal needs of an individual and/or unable to fully live in society due to some form of physical or mental impairment, whether it occurs from birth or later" (quoted from Zinaida, 2006). This definition is supplied by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to Utusan Online (2009), the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, came up with the name "Orang Kelainan Upaya" to give this group a fresh outlook on their skills. Utusan Online (2012) stated that the word "Orang Kelainan Upaya" was defined by Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, who was the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia at the time, as the proper way for society to regard this group. The capacity to do anything due to a natural process or an intentional event distinguishes one from another, not how they seem physically. This is why it is fair to evaluate them using criteria other than perfection (Utusan Online, 2009; Utusan Online, 2012). The key question is how to assist this group to ensure they do not lag in all areas of life, regardless of the nomenclature used to describe them. They ought to be treated with the same level of competition as any other individual and not be shunned.