PUTRAJAYA: Employers are encouraged to hire former convicts to help overcome the shortage of workers in the country, says Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran.

He said several ministries, including the Youth and Sports Ministry, had started to offer jobs to former convicts and hoped the private sector would follow suit.

“We hope employers will give them a chance. This is a matter of concern as the unemployment rate in Malaysia stands at 3.3%.

“The country still needs workers and I believe former convicts should be helped by giving them jobs,” he said after launching World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2019 at Dataran Putrajaya here yesterday.Previously, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said he would hire three former convicts to work at his office at the ministry as an initiative to change the negative perception towards the group.

Kulasegaran said the ministry would also prepare technical and vocational education and training for former convicts before they started working. — Bernama