PUTRAJAYA: The work ethics of persons with disabilities (OKU) continue to gain recognition, with nearly 81% of employers rating their performance on par with other workers, according to the Department of Statistics’ 2025 Employment Survey of Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the survey, involving 1,830 employers, also found that 71.9% recognised the role of OKU workers in driving productivity and innovation in the workplace, while nearly 22% of employers currently hire OKU.
“This effort not only reflects growing employer awareness of workforce diversity, but is also supported by the achievement of nearly 30% employment among workers with physical disabilities,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
He said nearly 91% of employers who had previously hired OKU provided employment opportunities involving between one and five workers, while 47.5% expressed their intention to continue hiring the group in future.
“Among employers currently hiring OKU, 83.7% employ between one and five workers, with elementary occupations remaining the preferred job category at 31.4%,” he said.
Mohd Uzir said the survey also found that 86.5% of employed OKU workers possessed the OKU card as official verification of their disability.
He said the majority of employers showed support for efforts to strengthen the inclusive employment ecosystem, with 90.6% supporting the establishment of specific guidelines on OKU employment, while 77.3% agreed that job training should be tailored according to the type of disability.
However, he said the survey also identified several challenges, with 63.3% of employers citing the high cost of modifying workplaces to be OKU-friendly, while 78.6% reported difficulties in finding suitable candidates, as well as the need to further improve awareness of the benefits and incentives of hiring OKU.
“Holistic cooperation among the government, employers, OKU organisations and all stakeholders is important to strengthen the inclusive participation of the group in the labour market and support the country’s socio-economic development,” he said.
