Persons with disabilities (PWDs) who are employed receive higher allowances compared to those who are not working as an incentive to encourage them to be gainfully employed, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Karim.

She said the monthly allowance for unemployed PWDs is RM200 while PWDs who are working received RM350.

According to her, the ministry provided various facilities to encourage that group to work, among others, through the Job Coach Service Programme to provide them training and a higher allowance.

"Some people wonder why work more, this is because the allowance is to encourage them to go out and work," he said at a media conference on the presentation of appointment letters to 10 members of the National Council for the Handicapped here Tuesday.

Rohani said out of the 420,000 PWDs registered with the Welfare Department, about 13,000 were currently working in the private sector while another 3,400 worked in the public sector.

Rohani said the appointment of the council members was for a two-year period from January 1 this year to Dec 31, 2018 based on their experience and expertise as well as PWD categories being represented to ensure they are not left behind.

They are Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) lecturer Dr Azian Sofia Amin (physical disabilities); Mohd Yazid Bain (hearing and speech disabilities); V. Murugeswaran (physical disabilities); Choo Siew Cheong (visually impaired); Fariz Abd Rani (physical disabilities and representing Sabah); Jatan Kidu (physical disabilities and representing Sarawak); celebrity Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi (physical disabilities); freelance speaker Dr Ruziah Ghazali (small person); cognitive science academician Dr Ong Puay Hoon; and WQ Park Health and Rehabilitation Centre director Dr Sulaiman Abdul Mutalib.

She said seven committees are set up under the council covering the fields of transport, education, employment, accessibility, safety, registration and quality of life. - BERNAMA