BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 17 — Big companies are urged to provide more job opportunities for persons with disabilities (PwDs), said Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

He said the ministry was working together with several big companies to help provide employment opportunities for the group, in line with the government’s aspiration to ensure that no one will be left behind.

This includes cooperation between the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and Flex Penang to strengthen job placement for PwDs, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today, he added.

"I would like to thank Flex Penang for taking an initiative with Socso to provide job opportunities for the group.

"Through this agreement, Socso will identify and propose the PwDs to Flex Penang for employment opportunities or interviews. I hope more employers will emulate this proactive measure,” he told reporters after the MoU signing ceremony here.

Socso was represented by its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed while Flex Penang was represented by its vice-president P. Vismanathan. At the ceremony, Saravanan also officiated the MYfutureJobs@Flex satellite hub.

Among the areas of strategic collaboration under the MoU are research and teaching, career marketability programme, employment services through the MyFutureJobs portal, Training of Trainers sessions and Socso’s Return to Work programme.

Meanwhile, Viswanathan said Penang Flex had hired a total of 277 PwD workers since 2018 and intends to recruit 150 PwDs by the end of this year.

A PwD worker at Flex Penang, Mohd Kamal Mohd Sidek, 32, who was left permanently disabled in both of his legs due to a road accident in 2016 said he has been working as an operator at the factory for the last nine months.

He said Socso had helped him a lot, including securing a job at Flex Penang which offers a conducive working environment for PwDs.

Another production operator, Lim Guan Chooi, 35, who is deaf and mute said he has been working there for the past four years and the employer treated them just like other normal workers.

"I’m happy to work here. They don’t treat us differently. If other employees get an award, we also get the same recognition,” he said. — Bernama