Are employers in Malaysia ready to hire ex-offenders?

government’s strategy to increase an ex-offender’s employability has been clearly manifested in the 2019 Budget announcement.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, in his budget speech, said firms that hire ex-offenders for up to a monthly salary of RM4,000 will be subjected to additional tax deductions.

The move should be applauded as ex-offenders deserve a second chance in the workforce.

Lack of job opportunities makes them immobile. It also results in them staying within the same circle of friends who could have influenced them to commit the crime, thus encouraging them to repeat committing the crimes.

If the public wants them to fully repent and prevent them from committing the crime again, they have to be placed under better circumstances.

Employability will not only provide them with decent earnings but allow them to engage with new people and build healthier relationships.

The government’s goal to increase employability of ex-offenders requires gigantic effort.

Bearing the tag of an ex-offender creates a huge barrier for any individual to penetrate into the job market.

There’s limited evidence on whether employers in Malaysia are ready to hire ex-offenders.

Studies show many factors influence employers when hiring ex-offenders.

Firstly, an employer would want to consider whether it is safe for him and his staff to be with an ex-offender.

The type of offence committed, whether blue collar or while collar, would influence the hiring decision.

The type of offence reveals the intensity of the crime and whether the job is suitable for the ex-offender.

The next factor is the image of the organisation. Would the appearance of an ex-offender be instrumental in securing a job?

The type of offence committed and the appearance could be a major hurdle for an ex-offender as these would be considered the “first impression”.

Once an ex-offender passes the first impression test, then it would be the question of his skills.

A rational employer would not spend a large amount of money and time training someone who he feels may leave the job if he is unable to fit into the organisation.

If the ex-offender has not acquired any skills while in prison or after being released, it is going to backfire.

He has to express a strong desire to learn. If this happens then the employer will have confidence in hiring him.

These are some major factors that employers need to look out for, and there may be more.

Are the employers of ex-offenders ready to give them a job?

Is the Malaysian Prison Department taking the necessary steps to prepare offenders to be job ready post-release?

There is a lot more work to be done. The government needs to design an employability framework to absorb the ex-offenders into the job market.

A significant amount of study is required to gauge the factors that would influence employers to hire ex-offenders and to understand the type of skill sets the government can provide offenders to increase their employability and mobility once they are released from the prison.

With ex-offenders gaining access to employment, we can expect safer communities, improved wellbeing and higher economic growth.

With ex-offenders gaining access to employment, we can expect safer communities, improved wellbeing and higher economic growth.