Employers commend productivity of workers with disabilities

THE findings of the 2025 Employment Survey of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) reveal that nearly 81% of the 1,830 employers surveyed rated disabled employees’ work ethics as on par with their non-disabled staff.

Conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the survey further revealed that 71.9% of the employers recognised that PWDs contributed significantly to workplace productivity and innovation.

“Among employers currently hiring OKUs, 83.7% employ between one and five workers, with elementary occupations remaining the preferred job category at 31.4%,” said chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, as reported in “81% of employers rate disabled persons’ work ethics on par with other workers, says Stats Dept” (The Star, May 28; online at https://tinyurl.com/2nxm47wy).

Equal access of PWDs to employment is enshrined in the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008. Sadly, despite this legal framework, PWDs continue to face daunting challenges in their quest for employment.

Some employers believe that they are less productive, less reliable and more costly to employ, leading to discrimination, which makes it difficult for PWDs to find and maintain employment.

The findings of the survey should debunk this entrenched misconception.

However, the survey also highlighted significant gaps in the implementation of the government’s policy guaranteeing equal employment rights for PWDs.

For starters, it is telling that among the employers surveyed, only about 22% currently hire PWDs. Of these, 63.3% cited high costs for modifying the workplace environment to be PWD-friendly; 78.6% reported difficulty finding suitable candidates; more than 90% called for clearer guidelines for PWD employment; and 77.3% requested tailored training programmes based on disability type.

The government needs to scrutinise these issues and implement the required intervention programmes. As a start, it could strengthen the Social Welfare Department’s initiatives to help PWDs secure jobs and remain employed through various programmes, including providing personalised job coach services, allowances for working disabled persons and dedicated vocational training.

The government must walk the extra mile to level the playing field for PWDs to be integrated into the workforce.

DATUK WEE BENG EE

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