Only 50 out of 10,000 jobs snapped up by disabled

Friday August 15, 2008

The Star - Online

Only 50 out of 10,000 jobs snapped up by disabled
By NG CHENG YEEand NATALIE STONEHAM

KUALA LUMPUR: Only 50 disabled people have applied for the 10,000 jobs made available in the public sector, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

“All kinds of jobs were available, from rank and file such as office boys to management level, but unfortunately, there have been few takers.

“The Government needed to find out why the disabled group had been reluctant to take up the jobs,” she said Thursday after chairing the first meeting of the National Council for People With Disabilities here.

The Government has set as a policy to reserve 1% or 10,000 jobs for the disabled in the public sector as a measure to integrate the disabled into mainstream society.

Dr Ng called on the disabled community to be responsive to the job applications. She said the Government would try its best to overcome obstacles that the disabled faced in the work place.

“They should not have the negative thinking but instead they should apply for the jobs first and let us know what obstacles they are going to face if they take up the jobs.

“If there are more people coming forward to apply for the jobs, we (the Government) might consider arranging the transport for them, including getting buses to go around Putrajaya,” she said.

“I have mentioned it many times in the newspaper about the vacancies available. You (disabled people) cannot just expect us to knock on your doors and inform you about the opportunities,” she said.