KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 10,766 persons with disabilities (PwDs) have joined the workforce from 2022 to May 31, according to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
In a parliamentary reply yesterday, the ministry said based on statistics by the Public Service Department, there were 3,717 PwDs in the civil service, at the federal and state level.
As for PwDs in the private sector, the statistics from the Social Security Organisation (Socso) recorded 7,049 workers of various disability categories over the period.
The ministry said this in response to a question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) who asked about the number of PwDs who had joined the workforce in Malaysia from 2022 to date.
The ministry said various programmes were being implemented to ensure talented and capable PwDs get employment opportunities equivalent to normal individuals. These include the job coach programme and economic empowerment initiatives, which are conducted under the community rehabilitation programme and include allowances for PwDs.
The ministry said that Section 29 of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 stated the right of the PwDs to gain access to employment based on equality with persons without disabilities.
"In the recruitment of PwDs to work, employers must provide suitable reasonable adaptations to them, to promote stable employment by assessing their ability appropriately, providing workplaces and carrying out appropriate employment management.
"All parties should give a fair chance to them to get a job for the well-being of the disabled as well as better economic development of the country."