PUTRAJAYA: The total number of persons with disabilities (PwDs) registered with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as of 2022 is 674,548, representing two per cent of the Malaysian population.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin (pix), in a statement today, said the figure was lower than the global estimate provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“WHO has estimated that as of March 2023, there are a total of 1.3 billion people with significant disabilities worldwide, representing 16 per cent of the global population,” he said.
According to Mohd Uzir, 36.3 per cent or 245,015 registered PwDs were categorised as physically disabled, followed by 35.1 per cent with learning disabilities, 8.8 per cent with visual impairments, and speech problems recorded the lowest registration rate at 0.5 per cent.
Mohd Uzir said that according to health research findings, the number of PwDs receiving medical treatment increased from 2,580 people in 2021 to 3,940 people in 2022, with the learning disability category representing the highest percentage at 81.3 per cent.
In terms of education, he stated the number of students enrolled in primary special education schools increased to 1,477 in 2022 from 1,461 in the previous year, while at the secondary school level, there was a two per cent decrease to 1,046 from 1,067 in the same period.
“The total number of teachers in primary and secondary special education schools also dropped from 1,310 in 2021 to 1,296 in 2022,” he added.
In the employment sector, Mohd Uzir said that the number of disabled civil servants serving in 2022 rose from 3,694 to 3,724 compared to the previous year, with individuals with physical disabilities recording the highest count of 2,551 people.
“In terms of service groups, the majority of PwDs serve in the support group, comprising 2,462 people (66.1 per cent), compared to 1,258 people (33.8 per cent) in the management and professional group, and four people (0.1 per cent) in the top management group,” he said.
According to Mohd Uzir, the number of disabled people serving the private sector in 2022 was 3,186 individuals, which increased from 1,377 people in 2021.
The service and sales workers category had the most PwDs in 2022, with 956 people, followed by technicians and associate professionals with 363 people, and professionals with 276 people.
“The statistics on income and expenditure reveal that households with a disabled member had an average monthly gross household income of RM4,390 in 2022, and the overall average monthly gross household income stood at RM5,679.
“Meanwhile, households with disabled members recorded an average monthly household consumption expenditure of RM3,974 in the same year,” he said.
As for the welfare services, Mohd Uzir said that there are three primary institutions catering to the PwD community in the country, namely Taman Sinar Harapan, Bengkel Daya, and industrial training and rehabilitation centres.
Taman Sinar Harapan, an institution under JKM, offers care, protection, and rehabilitation services tailored for individuals with learning disabilities, whereas Bengkel Daya, a protected workshop also under JKM, specialises in providing employment opportunities for PwDs who face challenges in securing jobs within the open market.
“The industrial training and rehabilitation centres, established by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), aim to empower PwDs by offering vocational training tailored to prepare them for integration into the job market,” he said.
Mohd Uzir said that in 2022, Taman Sinar Harapan accommodated 798 PwDs, while Bengkel Daya had 78 disabled individuals registered as trainees, and the Industrial Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Bangi enrolled a total of 80 disabled trainees for various training programmes. -Bernama
