By Dr Chua Sook Ning
I am very concerned over the news coverage of a recent tragic event in Penang.
Reports have come out stating that the young woman who drove against traffic has an OKU card (stating that she has a learning disability). There is no reason why her learning disability is relevant to this situation.
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 (DSM-5) which is the manual used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental health conditions states that a specific learning disability as “Difficulties learning and using academic skills, as indicated by the presence of at least one of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months, despite the provision of interventions that target those difficulties.”
This may include difficulties in spelling, written expression or mathematical reasoning.
Her learning disability is a red herring and seems to imply that it is related to the accident. There is no research showing that people with learning disabilities cannot drive or are more prone to traffic accidents.
I appreciate a report in The Star seeking expert opinion on what is a learning disability. Unfortunately, the coverage probably led to more misinformation and confusion about the whole matter.
A suggestion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and self-medication is premature at this juncture.
This is because it brings in another piece of information that is not confirmed by the authorities (nor by a physician who has actually assessed her) but has now been associated with this story.
Why is this important?
This is a tragic situation for all parties involved.
It is important that we don’t bring in irrelevant or unfounded information which can cause greater distress to the parties involved.
Moreover, this contributes to the stigmatisation of mental illness and to the wider OKU community.
This coverage has led to hurtful comments on social media by people who read the story and make their assumptions.
This includes comments like: “Very scary even on the road. Disabled people also can drive like normal people. Malaysia Boleh.”, “If she has learning disability how did she obtain her driving license?”, and “If she’s an OKU, she shouldn’t be driving in the first place.”.
Surely we can do better.
Dr Chua Sook Ning is a clinical pychologist and founder of Relate Malaysia, an organisation established to raise public awareness of mental health.
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