Improving People with Disabilities' access to the open labour market with enhanced social protection

In Malaysia, out of the 637,537 persons with disabilities (PWD) registered with the Department of Welfare (DoW), around 50% were of working-age. However, the population of PWD in Malaysia is underreported, as registration with the DoW is voluntary and there may be little incentive to affiliate. The Government of Malaysia (GoM) signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and ratified it in 2010 though it maintains reservations on Article 15 and Article 18, and has yet to sign the CRPD Optional Protocol. Despite the government’s initiatives, the employment rates of PWD in both public and private sectors remain disproportionately low. Barriers to work include environmental barriers, institutional barriers and attitudinal barriers. Aligned with just transition principles, the project supports policies, management and administrative measures to enable equal access to employment opportunities, training programs, support services and social protection for PWDs during the transition to greener and more sustainable industries, as well as other economic sectors. This ensures that they are not be left behind or disadvantaged in the changing job market. This is also an economic imperative for Malaysia given the relatively rapid ageing of the population; it is increasingly difficult to find relevant skilled workers. Ultimately, the project can provide the government with inclusive labor market policy options that empower PWDs to make meaningful and valuable contributions across diverse sectors of the economy. To ensure that implementing agencies' is systematic and effective in realizing the needs of people and prosperity inter alia, the proper labor market interventions must be in place that combines benefit schemes for PWDs with activation measures, such as job placement services, access to training opportunities, a systematic compilation of information on PWDs, improved employer awareness, and support to adjustments in workplace environment and practices. This project also aims to strengthen existing labor market policies; via the identification of potential economic sectors where PWDs may significantly contribute to; that corresponds to labor market needs, and vice versa. In respect of social protection coverage, the project will deliver recommendations, practical next steps, facilitate dialogue, provide relevant international examples to ensure that coverage of PWDs can and will increase over the short and medium term.

Project symbol

MYS/24/01/UND

Admin unit

RO-Asia and the Pacific

Start date

22/03/2024

End date

30/09/2025

Total allocation

111708

Total expenditure

Status

Active

92785

Development Partners

Multi Partner Trust Fund Office, UNDP

Country/Countries

Malaysia

Outcomes

Outcome 7: Universal social protection