The image shows the “Make the Right Real in Malaysia” logo of The OKU Rights Matter website and an image of two smiling brothers, the older with his right hand over the right shoulder of the younger one with spinal muscular atrophy and using a wheelchair.

Malaysian Disability Data

Even trees need a friend. We all need friends. It all happens automatically. We want to use a lot pressure while using no pressure at all.

Malaysian Disability Data

Registration of persons with disabilities in Malaysia is not mandatory. According to Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (Department of Social Welfare, JKM) which manages the Persons with Disabilities (OKU) registry, there are a total of 637537 persons with disabilities as of 31 January 2023, which is about 1.9% of Malaysian population. 

The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 report provides a more accurate estimation of persons with disabilities in Malaysia. The NHMS 2019 report states that:

  • 11.1% Malaysians above 18 years old have disabilities.
  • 1 in 4 Malaysian adults experience functional difficulties in one or more of the following domains: seeing, hearing, remembering, walking, self-care and communicating.
  • 4.7% children aged 2-17 years old have functional difficulty in at least one domain, including hearing, vision, communication/comprehension, learning, mobility and emotions.

Meanwhile, workforce participation among working-age Malaysians with disabilities is low, with approximately 4,500 workers in public and private sectors as of 2018, which is barely 1% of the number of registered persons with disabilities in the country.