KUALA LUMPUR — Employers in Malaysia are showing growing confidence in persons with disabilities (PWDs), with nearly 81% rating their work ethics on par with other employees, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM) 2025 Employment Survey of Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia.
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the survey, which involved 1,830 employers, also revealed that 71.9% acknowledged the contribution of PWD workers in boosting workplace productivity and innovation, Bernama reported.
He added that close to 22% of employers currently employ PWDs.
“This effort not only reflects growing employer awareness on workforce diversity, but is also supported by the achievement of nearly 30% employment among workers with physical disabilities,” he said in a statement today.
According to the survey, nearly 91% of employers who had previously hired PWDs offered opportunities involving between one and five workers, while 47.5% said they intended to continue recruiting from the group in future.
Among employers currently hiring PWDs, 83.7% employ between one and five workers, with elementary occupations remaining the preferred job category at 31.4%.
Mohd Uzir also said 86.5% of employed PWD workers possessed the PWD card as official verification of their disability.
He noted that employers generally supported efforts to strengthen a more inclusive employment ecosystem, with 90.6% backing the introduction of specific guidelines on PWD employment.
Meanwhile, 77.3% agreed that job training programmes should be customised according to the type of disability.
Despite the positive findings, the survey highlighted several persistent challenges.
Among them, 63.3% of employers cited the high cost of modifying workplaces to make them more PWD-friendly, while 78.6% said they faced difficulties in finding suitable candidates.
The survey also pointed to the need for greater awareness on the benefits and incentives available for hiring PWDs.
“Holistic cooperation among the government, employers, PWD organisations and all stakeholders is important to strengthen the inclusive participation of the group in the labour market and support the country’s socio-economic development,” he added. – May 28, 2026