Yeoh: Public sector needs to do more to hire disabled workers

IPOH: The employment rate of the disabled in the private sector is encouraging, but the public sector needs to do more, says Hannah Yeoh.

The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said the positive feedback received from the majority of employers from the private sector about the disabled is of them being hardworking, dedicated, and hardly took any leave.

Yeoh said if the private sector could employ them, the public sector should have no excuses.

Yeoh said for the public sector, the secretary-generals at various government agencies are encouraged to hire persons with disabilities as part of their key performance index.

“I am hoping that the local government-linked companies can give the disabled an opportunity to secure a job at their organisations,” she told reporters after launching the “Disabled Santuni” programme at the Perak Association for Intellectually Disabled Association’s school here.

Yeoh added that the association is a very established non-governmental organisation that caters for the disabled from cradle to the grave.

“Right from nursery, school, training centre to getting employment for their students, this association does it all.

“If any organisation requires workers, this is one of the associations to look out for,” she added.

Yeoh said she would also be sharing the success stories from the employers in Perak, who has nothing by praises for the disabled workers.

During the event, Yeoh also presented the sub-category disabled cards to the children in the association, appreciation certificates to employers in Perak who hired the disabled, and certificates to graduates under the special needs teaching programme.

She also witnessed a memorandum of understanding between the association and Quest International University Perak on a teachers training programme.

During the event, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s wife, Datin Seri Dr Nomee Ashikin Mohd Radzi as the state chairman of Kasih Malaysia, presented RM100,000 to the association.

On the proposed three-day paternity leave for the private sector by the Human Resource Ministry, she said her ministry had already given positive feedback.

She said employers must be considerate, and allow fathers to be part of the process.

“Actually, even three days is not sufficient, especially for mothers who undergo Caesarean section; they are still admitted in the hospital, and they need the support from the husband.

“What more if they have other smaller children to look after, the father needs to be there to help,” she added.- Star