Daya Kerjaya 3.0: The RM1,000/Month Incentive for Hiring OKU

What Is Daya Kerjaya 3.0?

Daya Kerjaya 3.0 is a government cash incentive paid directly to private-sector employers who hire OKU Malaysians. Key details:

• RM1,000 per month, per eligible OKU hire, paid for a maximum of 6 working months.
• No cap on the number of eligible hires per company; employers can claim for every qualifying OKU employee.
• Eligible hires must have commenced employment from 1 December 2024.
• Applications are accepted between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025.
• The incentive is administered by PERKESO through the Daya Kerjaya online portal.

Why This Matters for OKU Job Seekers

Simply put: employers have a direct financial reason to consider OKU candidates right now. The RM1,000/month incentive lowers the perceived cost and risk for companies making their first OKU hire, and it represents a meaningful employment programme at scale.

If you are applying to a company that is not yet aware of Daya Kerjaya 3.0, mentioning it diplomatically in your cover letter or at interview can shift the conversation. It transforms your application from a “cost consideration” into a financial opportunity for the employer:

“As an OKU candidate registered with JKM, my hire may qualify your organisation for the PERKESO Daya Kerjaya 3.0 incentive: RM1,000/month for up to 6 months.”

Employer Eligibility

The hiring company must be:

• Registered with SSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia), ROS, ROB, or a local authority (PBT)
• Contributing under the Workers' Social Security Act 1969 (SOCSO contributions)
• Contributing under the Employment Insurance System Act 2017
• A private-sector company, GLC, or GLIC (not an individual employer)

Most established SMEs, GLCs, and corporate employers in Malaysia qualify under these criteria.

Your Eligibility as a Candidate

To qualify as an eligible OKU hire under Daya Kerjaya 3.0, you must:

• Be a Malaysian citizen
• Be under 60 years of age at the time of hire
• Have been unemployed for at least 2 months before the new employment starts
• Be registered as a Person with Disability (OKU), holding a valid OKU card issued by JKM

If you are not yet registered, see the OKU Card registration guide for the complete step-by-step process.

How to Use This in Your Job Search

1. 1

   Apply to employers registered on Inklusif.

   These employers have already declared a commitment to OKU-inclusive hiring. They are the most likely to be receptive and to already know about available incentives.

2. 2

   Reference Daya Kerjaya 3.0 in your cover letter.

   A brief, confident mention ("As an OKU candidate, my hire may also qualify your organisation for the Daya Kerjaya 3.0 incentive from PERKESO") adds tangible value to your application.

3. 3

   Connect with a support organisation.

   Organisations like MAB, NASOM, and SLDN can advocate for you with employers and help navigate the PERKESO application paperwork on the employer side.

4. 4

   Check the PERKESO portal directly.

   Programme terms can update. Always confirm the latest requirements at the official PERKESO Daya Kerjaya portal before citing specific figures.

The Bigger Picture

Daya Kerjaya 3.0 is part of Malaysia's broader strategy to close the employment gap for its 800,000+ registered OKU citizens. Less than 2% of working- age Malaysians with disabilities are in formal employment, a figure that lags significantly behind comparable economies.

Alongside the UNDP partnership and platforms like Inklusif, this programme represents genuine government commitment to change. Use it strategically: you are not asking for charity; you are helping employers understand the full value of an inclusive hire.