It has been revealed that ex-convicts, former juvenile delinquents and rehabilitated drugs addicts in the country who have served their sentences are struggling to find jobs upon their return to society.

According to the Federal Territory Labour Department, former convicts are facing great difficulty in securing job placements as employers are biased against them.

"Only certain groups of employers will consider hiring these groups out of social responsibility," said the deparment's permit and foreign eorker assistant director J. Madanjit Singh.

Madanjit said the department is currently compiling data on former inmates of prisons and rehabilitation centre who have been successfully hired by companies.

"We are currently working with the Prison Department in setting up a states parole committee that will seek job placements for the former group, he said, adding that there are incentives given to companies who hire former convicts.

"Employers should give this group a chance to redeem themselves by providing appropriate jobs for them. We don't want them to feel ostracised by society and return to a life of crime due to frustration and lack of opportunity," he said.

Madanjit said that until August this year, the department has received 18,719 online job applications through their Electronic Labour Exchange programme.

Of that figure, 0.1 per cent is made up of applications from former inmates of prisons and rehabilitation centre.

"We have also received applications from ex-armed forces members, retirees, the disabled, retrenched workers, school leavers and fresh graduates," said Madanjit, who was speaking at the Labour Department Career Day Fair held at UniKL-Bristish Malaysia Institute recently.

Madanjit said the two-day fair offered 4,860 jobs in various fields from 40 private companies and government agencies.