Groups advocating the rights of the disabled have slammed Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar over his remarks on specific legislation to protect persons with disabilities (PWD) in the workplace.

Rangkaian Solidariti Demokratik Pesakit Mental (Siuman), a collective of lived experience advocates pushing for the inclusion of the disabled in governance, said the minister seems to not be aware of the "second-class citizen" status of the disabled in Malaysia, and the lack of the protection the group faces.

"In his parliamentary answer, and during the subsequent press conference, the minister indicated that only eight cases of discrimination have been...