PETALING JAYA: In 1999, a young boy named Albert Wong captured the nation’s attention through the pages of this newspaper.

A recent workshop to empower women living with disabilities turned out to be an eye-opener for many.

The China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe took Penang by storm in its first performance in Malaysia. The troupe, whose members comprise people with various disabilities, captured the hearts of the audience at the Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH) where they staged a charity variety show on Sunday.

In Malaysia, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been cooperating for six years with local authorities to help address this problem and since 2005 the agency and the Malaysian Welfare Department began a project to train so-called job coaches who support job seekers with disabilities.

For 14 years, Ho Chan Yeow’s life has revolved around the busy McDonald’s Restaurant in Sungei Wang, Kuala Lumpur.