Pekak?

taken from the Malay Mail 15th December 2010

RM1k fine for threatening SMS

KUALA LUMPUR: All it took was an SMS to turn two best friends into enemies.
A despatch rider was fined RM1,000 by the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court here this morning for sending a threatening SMS to his former best friend.
Magistrate Zulkipli Abdullah said Mohd Rizal Ahmad Zailan, 30, faces a one-month jail term in default of payment.
Mohd Rizal, better known as "Pekak"(deaf) to his friends as he uses a hearing aid, pleaded guilty to the charge of committing criminal intimidation against Mohd Khairul Shafri Abdul Aziz, 26.
On April 16, 2008, Mohd Khairul had sought compensation from Mohd Rizal, claiming the latter had stolen a handphone belonging to Mohd Khairul's sibling.
Mohd Rizal had refused to pay. On April 28, 2008, Mohd Rizal sent a threatening SMS to Mohd Khairul saying: "Don't be arrogant. You just watch, I will kill you... I will come quietly."
Mohd Rizal asked for a lighter sentence as his wife is five-months pregnant and he also has a one-year-old child.

I put up this article because of the labeling. It is really so easy but terrible for people to label people with disabilities. These kind of people should be thankful that God blesses them with a fully normally functional body. Not everyone is as lucky as them, but for them to label people, it really makes me mad! I applaud Mohd Rizal for embracing his deafness and wearing a hearing aid (but not his crime!!!). It means he wants to be better and improve his quality of life. Not everyone is brave to do so. Hearing has always been taken for granted and it really should stop now!

For better hearing, always!