Social justice is not limited to looking the at well being of employees during employment but also after retirement.
Author of 'Practical Guide to the Employment Act 1995' T. Balasubramaniam (left); Retired Federal Court Judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram (2nd from R); chairman of organising committee Datuk Roy Rajasingham (R); Director of Current Law Journal Malaysia Rostina Gaus (centre) and Malaysian Society for Labour and Social Security Law Datuk Cyrus Das (2nd from L) look at the book after the launching at "Challenges in Employment Law". NSTP/ Farizul Hafiz Awang
KUALA LUMPUR: A life-long pension plan and affordable health insurance scheme must be in place for private sector workers whose savings are depleted soon after retirement.
President of newly formed Malaysian Society for Labour and Social Security Law, Datuk Dr Cyrus Das said it was generally believed that a private sector retiree who is non-pensionable exhausted his savings from Employees Provident Fund within three and five years of retirement.
"There must be therefore be due consideration of a life-long pension scheme for private sector workers and affordable health insurance schemes," he said in his speech at the inaugural conference on employment and labour law at a hotel here today.
He said social justice was not limited to looking at well being of employees during employment but also after retirement.
The event attended by about 200 participants is co-organised with the Malaysian Current Law Journal (CLJ), one of the leaders in law publishing.
Das said in a society where "people lived longer and money grew shorter", the dependence on social security schemes became critical.
He pointed out that the United States Supreme Court handed down a significant decision last week that validated the Obama healthcare reform, providing for mandatory health insurance from 2014 for nearly all its citizens.
He said his organisation would endeavour to provide constructive proposals to look into the welfare of private sector workers.
"Our society is well placed to do this (to provide feedback) as we are comprised of all the principal stakeholders - labour lawyers, academics, employer representatives and trade unionists,"
Das, a leading civil lawyer and former Bar Council president, said the society hoped to make a modest start in its effort to bring about a more studied and reasoned approach to the subject of labour law and social security by holding the conference.
At the event, retired Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram also launched a book on Employment Law written by industrial relations practitioner T. Balasubramaniam and was published by CLJ.
Five issues of public importance - Adjudicating Labour Claims under section 69 of the Employment Act; Impact of Minimum Wage; Contract Labour; Sex Discrimination at Workplace; and Impact of Foreign Labour on Industry were discussed in the day-long event. -NST-
Hi,
ReplyDeleteGovernment should pass a law for the people who's earning is less and who cant afford medical costs. As Australian government encourage and offer incentive to adult to take insurance from Australian private health insurance providers. If a person is under medical condition it eat all savings. We should think about it and take a private medical insurance.
Regards,
Brenda.
Dear Brenda, your view is right and hope the Government will take action. Beside, not all can afford to buy private medical insurance by their own after deducting their expenses. Your idea is great! Thanks
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