PUTRAJAYA: The government will make concerted efforts to ensure that people with disabilities (PWDs) register with the Social Welfare Department, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim today.
She said based on the latest statistics, only 419,805 of the estimated 4.5 million PWDs in Malaysia are registered with her ministry.
"As of March 2017, 419,805 PWDs are registered with the Department of Social Welfare. However, I believe that there are a lot more out there who are not registered with us," Rohani told reporters after officiating the Asean Workshop On Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR).
Attended by 120 delegates from around the region, including China, South Korea and Japan, the CBR is a strategic regional programme aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life of the disabled.
Rohani said she hopes news coverage on the CBR will encourage more PWDs to register with her ministry and benefit from its developmental programmes.
However, she said the government has no plans to make registration mandatory for the disabled community in the country.
"Right now, we'll stick to voluntary registration. Making it mandatory means there will be enforcement. And enforcement means there will be a penalty. We try not to force people that way.
"We want to create more awareness among families with PWDs to register voluntarily with us," Rohani added.