A national survey of 1,830 Malaysian employers found 81% rated persons with disabilities (PWD) as performing at the same level as other employees, according to results released yesterday [1, 2, 3, 4]. Nearly 22% of employers currently employ PWD, with almost 30% employment among those with physical disabilities [1, 2, 3, 4].
The survey showed 71.9% of employers believe PWD workers contribute to workplace productivity and innovation. Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said, "This effort not only reflects growing employer awareness on workforce diversity, but is also supported by the achievement of nearly 30 per cent employment among workers with physical disabilities" [1].
Among companies that have hired PWD before, nearly 91% have employed between one and five disabled workers. Currently, 83.7% of PWD employers hire between one and five PWD staff. More than 31% of PWD job roles are basic operational positions, and 86.5% of employed PWD hold official disability cards (Kad OKU) [1, 2, 3, 4].
Challenges remain, with 63.3% of employers citing high workplace modification costs as a barrier to hiring PWD. A larger share, 78.6%, reported difficulty finding suitable PWD candidates. Employers also showed gaps in awareness about incentives available for hiring disabled workers [1, 2, 3, 4].
Ninety percent of employers support creating specific guidelines for PWD employment, while 77.3% agree that training should be tailored by disability type to improve outcomes [1, 2, 3]. Experts say cooperation among government, employers, disabled persons’ groups, and other stakeholders is critical to improve employment rates [1, 2, 3].
Almost half of surveyed employers (47.5%) expressed intention to continue hiring PWD, indicating potential ongoing growth in inclusive workplaces [1, 2, 3, 4]. The findings are based on the 2025 Employment Survey of Persons with Disabilities conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia and published on May 27–28, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
