PETALING JAYA: More employers in the country are urged to hire persons with disabilities (PWDs) as the current employment figure involving the group is low, says the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).
Its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said that currently, there were 637,537 registered PWDs but only about 12,000 of them were employed.
“The government is encouraging the hiring of PWDs, and has put in place a 1% quota of employment to be given to the PWDs.
“Based on the allocated 1% of employment quota to PWDs, there should be at least 162,000 PWDs in employment.
“Based on the statistics, PWDs represent a huge pool of talents but they are not yet fully tapped,” he said in a statement on Friday (Sept 22).
In 2008, Malaysia enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act which provides the group with equal access to public facilities, healthcare services, and recreational activities.
Through the Act, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities was established and among others, it promotes employment of people with disabilities.
In order to increase the number of employment among PWDs, Syed Hussain suggested employers facilitate the employment of the group by providing a productive working environment.
“Apart from the working environment that facilitates PWDs, some adjustments may be required to the job itself.
“These flexibilities will have a positive impact on job satisfaction and are critical in attracting and retaining PWDs at work.
“Employers should consider implementing safe transition platforms for PWDs talents to assimilate in the workplace and accelerate their participation at the workplace and in the wider community.”
Under the 2023 Budget, the government provided various incentives such as tax deductions and wage subsidies of RM600 monthly for a three-month period for employers who hire PWDs at their respective organisations.
