THE number of special needs people with jobs is still low in Malaysia, standing at just 0.31% of the workforce, according to data from the Social Welfare Department.

Announcing this today, Negri Sembilan Women’s Affairs, Family and Welfare Committee chairman Nicole Tan Lee Koon also said a survey of the state undertaken by the department found that only 99 workers with special needs were employed in the civil service, including 73 by the federal government.

She urged all government agencies, departments and local authorities as well as the private sector to comply with the policy requiring that at least 1% of the workforce comprises people with special needs.

“Giving work opportunities to people with special needs and showing belief in them make a big difference in their lives,” Tan said.

She said the state-level work carnival for special needs people, which she officiated in Seremban today, served as a good example of the efforts of the government and private sectors to contribute to the development of people with special needs.  

Jointly organised by the state’s Social Welfare Department and JobsMalaysia’s centre in the state, the event was aimed at connecting employers with job seekers, offering about 800 job opportunities and featuring 17 employers.

In her address, Tan said there are 23,846 people with special needs in Negri Sembilan currently registered with the department, and of this number, 1,382 registrations were conducted between January and July this year.

The number of people with special needs in the state was possibly much higher if unregistered persons were taken into account, she said, adding that registration efforts will continue through the department’s year-long campaign.  

Tan said Malaysia had ratified the Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities on July 19, 2010 as part of its commitment towards ensuring special needs people are able to equally enjoy the opportunities experienced by able-bodied people, in all aspects of life.

To build on this commitment, in 2012, Malaysia adopted the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, an initiative aimed at reducing poverty and improving employment prospects among such persons. – Bernama, August 17, 2019.