Discrimination is prevalent

HUMAN Resources Minister V. Sivakumar seems to be either misinformed or is unaware of the extent of workplace discrimination against persons with disabilities in Malaysia when he said there is no need to enact specific legislation for this group, “No need for new law on discrimination against persons with disabilities, says Sivakumar” (The Star, Oct 16).

All of us are aware that discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion and disability is common in Malaysia. Regarding workplace discrimination against persons with disabilities, there have been a number of studies showing that it is prevalent. Examples include “Workplace discrimination against Malaysians with disabilities: Living with it or fighting against it?” by Suet Leng Khoo, Ling Ta Tiun and Lay Wah Lee, published in Disability Studies Quarterly Vol. 33 No. 3 (2013); and “A study on challenges faced by disabled people at workplace in Malaysia” by S. Narayanan, published in the International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly And Disabled, Vol. 5, (2018).