KUALA LUMPUR: A unit to champion the rights of those with disabilities was launched Saturday in response to the many complaints from the community received by the Umno Youth public complaints bureau.

Bureau chief Datuk Muhammad Khairun Aseh said the Briged OKU’ hoped to have 500 members by June next year.

“We will have workshops and training programmes, including music lessons, as some visually-impaired people are exceptionally gifted in music,” said Muhammad Khairun after the brigade was launched by Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly at PWTC.

He said rocker Amy Search, who is also an Umno member, had agreed to be music director of the brigade.

Muhammad Khairun, who is also chairman of the brigade, said that the aim of the brigade was to get the Government to be more disabled-friendly in its policies and moves.

During the brigade launch, Najib also accepted Umno membership forms from 120 members of the Malaysian Association for the Blind.

– THE STAR