PUTRAJAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is open to suggestions or inputs for improving the wellbeing of the disabled (OKU) community in Malaysia.
To this end, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who holds the portfolio, and Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh had held several meetings and engagements with non-governmental organisations.
“The issue about the government neglecting the OKU does not arise,” the ministry said in a statement today.
It said it was studying a memorandum submitted by OKU activists who claimed their voice was not being heard.
The ministry pointed out that the Social Welfare Department through the Persons with Disabilities Development Department was regularly holding empowerment programmes and improving its delivery of service and information to the community.
It cited its Disability Equality Training programme; efforts to improve OKU registration efficiency at state and district level; Job Coach service; and OKU Learning Subcategory Card and Independent Living programme.
“The focus of the ministry currently is to ensure participation of at least one per cent of OKU in the employment sector, which the previous government failed to achieve,” it said.
On Thursday, a group of OKU activists sent a memorandum to the ministry urging the government to expedite review of the OKU policy, enforcement of the Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities, and provision of infrastructure. - Bernama