Call for more opportunities for OKU to enter public sector

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry urged all quarters, including local authorities, to give full cooperation in achieving the target of having one per cent of persons with disabilities (OKU) as workers in the public sector by 2020.
Deputy Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said currently the percentage of OKU employment in the public sector across the country was still very small - only 0.23%.
"Thus, state governments and all agencies involved must work together to ensure that this goal can be achieved within the next five years," she told reporters after launching the east coast-level OKU Action Plan 2016 road show at Taman Sinar Harapan here today.
Also present were the State Health and Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Roslee Daud and the state Welfare Department acting director Rusmi Mahmod.
"Recently, I met Malacca Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Idris Haron) and submitted a list of names of disabled people who are keen to work in the state.
"They are not only hold degrees, diplomas and certificates from the higher learning institutions, but also possesses certain skills to qualify them to serve in the public sector," she said.
She also urged the local authorities to give priority in providing disabled-friendly infrastructure facilities at the workplace, pedestrians' areas and also in public transports.
Azizah also called on parents and families to register their disabled children and family members with the Social Welfare Department.
She said the number of registered OKU now stood at 398,421, only about 15% of the actual number of 4.5 million.
"The registration is important to enable us to identify and provide the necessary programmes to help tap their hidden talents so that they can excel in their respective fields," she added. — Bernama