Long wait for OKU job applicant despite passing civil service interview

Having had difficulties securing full-time employment, a hearing-impaired applicant was overjoyed when she received an offer letter for the post of assistant administrative officer in the civil service in February.

Little did she know that it was the start of a five-month wait after her disability was flagged in the "disease" section in her pre-employment medical examination report.

In the report, the examining physician had ticked a box that states the Bachelor of Finance graduate has “health problems but can be considered for the appointment”.

In the space for “name of disease”, the physician noted down “deaf and mute (disability)".

This prompted the Civil Service Department (JPA) to refer her appointment to the Public Service Commission (SPA).

However, the physician also included a note stating the applicant has "no underlying illness upon examination, no abnormalities seen, and she was well".

In an email sent in April informing her not to report to duty, JPA said this was in compliance with a government circular on the matter.

She finally received an email from JPA confirming her appointment yesterday (July 23).

"I am very glad that I have been accepted. More people should be given a chance to work in the government sector based on their qualifications as the private sector is not even ready to grant disabled people (OKU) with an interview," she said.

“Deafness is not a disease. It is a disability. It's not related to health. I am healthy,” the applicant, who is an athlete who competed at the national level, said.

The applicant, aged 27, declined to be identified to avoid stigma in the workplace.

In an email to Malaysiakini, SPA chairperson Zainal Rahim Seman said the commission only received the applicant's case for review in May and approved her appointment on July 17.

Zainal said the SPA usually takes up to four months to review cases involving medical issues because it would require medical expert diagnosis and review. This includes cases where applicants are clinically depressed or diabetic, he said.

"In this case, the OKU applicant was deemed unhealthy and required a doctor to confirm that she is fit for the job.

"However, the SPA and JPA are of the view that she can be appointed, and this decision was made on July 17," he said.

Rejected from all companies

The applicant, who lipreads, said the JPA interviewers were initially “shocked” to learn she brought along a sign language interpreter but were finally impressed by her performance.

“They were surprised, looking at my education results and sporting achievements. They seemed positive on recruiting me,” she said.

She said joining the civil service was her last hope because she had been rejected from all the companies she applied for after graduating in 2018 due to her disability.

This, despite graduating with a cumulative grade point average of 3.41 and obtaining work experience in accounts departments in various organisations, some for two years.

“We are smart enough to compete with normal people, but we need a chance to prove ourselves,” she said.

The government has allocated a one percent quota for the OKU in the civil service but up to 2018, only 0.31 percent of the civil service is made up of OKU.

According to a government circular on the matter, OKU appointments depend on an applicant’s qualifications, the job scope and whether hiring agencies have the facilities to meet the needs of the applicants.

Hiring agencies are also told to set the “minimum requirements for OKU applicants in the screening process” and to ensure the interviewing panel consists of at least a Welfare Department officer or management personnel who is experienced in hiring OKU staff.

Hiring agencies must also accommodate the needs of OKU applicants during the interview, the circular reads.

Section 29(1) of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 states: “Persons with disabilities shall have the right to access to employment on an equal basis with persons without disabilities.”

The Employment Act 1955 is silent on the matter, but it is reported that the government is proposing to amend the law to bar employers from discriminating against job seekers on the grounds of gender, religion, race, disability, language, marital status and pregnancy.  - Mkini