Disabled youth left out of MyStep quota, says Ras Adiba

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Short-term Employment Programme (MyStep) quota system should be reviewed to accommodate disabled youths, says Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

“This is because Budget 2023 did not announce a special MyStep quota for disabled youth as announced in Budget 2022. This is important to overcome unemployment in the disabled community.

“I am disappointed because the government did not announce such a plan and the implementation of the 1% disabled persons in the public sector policy had failed to be implemented even after three decades,” she said.

“I hope the government views this matter seriously,” she said, reported Bernama.

She also said she hopes the government will step up its empowerment efforts and focus on the social well-being of the disabled community.Ras Adiba, however, added that initiatives announced by the government in Budget 2023 have recognised and offered relief to people with disabilities (PwD).

“I welcome the announcement of the RM1.2bil budget that has been prepared specifically for PwD, among other things, through assistance for the care of chronic patients, allowance for disabled persons unable to work and allowance for disabled workers (EpOKU),” she said in a statement yesterday.

Ras Adiba was also pleased that the government has empowered education for disabled children by providing special incentives with the establishment of 50 new nurseries for the disabled compared to the existing 13, as well as the provision of RM20mil to improve facilities in special needs schools.

“I also want to thank and fully support the government for its willingness to listen to suggestions and grouses from the rare diseases community by allocating RM25mil, and making Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Tunku Azizah Hospital referral centres for such diseases.”

She also called on the public and corporations to continue donating to the trust account for rare diseases established by the government in Budget 2023.