Damai Disabled Person Association president Murugeswaran Veerasamy said local governments should use their budget allocations to improve infrastructure so these benefits are not only enjoyed in the Klang Valley.

He said the budget incentives announced today for disabled workers might only be relevant in the Klang Valley, where there are transport systems such as RapidKL buses, MRT, and the LRT.

“Therefore, local governments must ensure the funds given to them to upgrade infrastructure are used to develop a barrier-free environment and implement accessible transportation systems to ensure the federal government’s initiative does not go in vain,” he said in a statement.

He added that it is the responsibility of local governments to ensure the disabled community in their towns and cities are taken care of.

The 2021 federal budget provides a RM50 increase in the hiring incentive allowance for disabled workers to RM450 a month.

“The hiring incentive will help disabled workers who have been retrenched during the pandemic to find work,” Murugeswaran said.

According to a recent Unicef report disabled people in low-income areas were some of the slowest to rebound from the effects of the pandemic.