A majority of employers in Malaysia believe employees with disabilities perform just as well as non-disabled workers, according to a 2025 survey conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin said the survey, which involved 1,830 employers nationwide, found that 81 per cent rated the work ethics of persons with disabilities (PWD) as comparable to other employees.
The study also revealed that 71.9 per cent of employers believed disabled workers contribute positively to workplace productivity and innovation.
“Nearly 22 per cent of employers surveyed currently employ persons with disabilities, showing increased inclusivity within Malaysia’s workforce,” Uzir said in a statement.
Among the different disability categories, individuals with physical disabilities recorded the highest employment participation, making up nearly 30 per cent of PWD representation in the workforce.
The survey further showed that most employers who hire disabled workers typically employ only small numbers, with 83.7 per cent employing between one and five PWD staff members.
Similarly, among employers who had previously hired PWD workers, 91 per cent said they also employed between one and five individuals.
Basic and entry-level positions remained the most common jobs offered to disabled employees, accounting for 31.4 per cent of available roles.
Despite growing acceptance, employers also highlighted several challenges in expanding PWD hiring.
About 78.6 per cent said difficulties in finding suitable candidates remained a key obstacle, while 63.3 per cent pointed to the costs involved in modifying workplaces to accommodate disabled employees.
The survey also found that awareness of government incentives for employing PWD workers remains relatively low among employers.
However, support for stronger inclusion policies was still high.
Uzir said 90.6 per cent of employers supported the introduction of formal guidelines related to PWD employment, while 77.3 per cent backed specialised training programmes tailored according to different disability types.
“Holistic collaboration between the government, employers, PWD organisations and all stakeholders is crucial to strengthen inclusive participation of persons with disabilities in the labour market,” he said.
Nearly half of employers surveyed — 47.5 per cent — also expressed intentions to continue hiring PWD workers in the future.
The survey additionally found that 86.5 per cent of employed PWD workers possessed official disabled person identification cards.
