Disabled In Workplace Yet To Reach 1%

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of disabled persons participating in public and private sectors has yet to reach 1%, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said based on Labour Department (Peninsular Malaysia) records, as at December 2014, only 4,147 disabled persons managed to secure a job and were placed in various employment sectors.

"Of that figure, 3,741 were recorded as a civil servant serving in various service groups in ministries, departments and the government agencies.

"Three of them have filled posts at the top management level in the public sector, 1,045 in management services and professional, and 2,693 in support services.

"Generally, however, the involvement of disabled persons in the employment sector has still not reached the percentage targeted, particularly in the public sector," she said when replying to Shamsul Iskandar (PKR-Bukit Katil) on the number of disabled workers in the public and private sectors.

Azizah said efforts to enable more disabled persons to gain access to employment had been intensified as provided under the provision in Section 29 of the Disabled Persons Act 2008 and the country's commitments under Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified in 2010.

She said the One Per cent Employment Policy introduced in 1988 had been strengthened through Circular No: 16 Years 2010 which came into force on Dec 15, 2010.

Based on the records of the Public Service Department, eight government agencies have achieved the target of One Per cent Employment for the disabled persons in the public sector.

The agencies are, among others, the Federal Territories Mufti Office (4.55%), Penang Port Commission (2.94%), Department of National Unity and Integration (1.69%) and Federal Territories Syariah Court (1.43%).

Azizah said, to increase jobs opportunities and employment among disabled persons, the government through the Labour Department (Peninsular Malaysia) and the human resources ministry had established a disabled persons placement systems.

The system, she added, allowed matching jobs created for disabled candidates with suitable positions in the private sector. – Bernama

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