KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The Human Resources Ministry (MOHR) considers workers’ social security protection an important component in implementing the 3K strategic mission, which is to raise the welfare, skills, and productivity of employees.
Its minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the strategy to improve the social security protection of workers under the Social Security Organisation (Socso) is divided into three stages, including short, medium, and long-term plans.
“For the short-term plan, MOHR will improve the existing Socso policies based on the first reading of the Act amendment in the Dewan Rakyat on March 26.
“This improvement will benefit 1.45 million workers, and their protection benefits will increase by 20.2 percent. The related act amendments will be implemented this year,” he said in a statement today.
For the medium-term plan, MOHR will step up the promotion campaign of Socso’s social security scheme to more workers in the gig and care sectors.
In that regard, the ministry’s target is to achieve at least 1,000,000 contributors to Socso’s Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) this year.
“Besides gig sector workers, workers in the care economy sector will be the focus of MOHR in 2024 as this sector has been underestimated in terms of its economic contribution for a long time.
“We also want to provide social security protection to the workers of the care economy sector, most of whom are housewives. Therefore, MOHR’s target is to reach at least 500,000 housewives this year compared to 200,000 last year,” Sim said.
The long-term plan is to implement a more comprehensive national social security protection system through two components, namely a plan to provide 24-hour social security protection for workers and to provide rehabilitation services as more comprehensive social security protection.
“This 24-hour social security protection is able to ensure better survival in the event of an accident to an employee, thus complementing the existing welfare service and health service system.
“To provide a more comprehensive service and reduce operating costs, Socso will establish at least one dialysis centre in each state within a three-year period,” he said.
— Bernama
