Socso coverage for 1.2m housewives

 

Some 1.2 million housewives will soon be given social security coverage although they are not working.

Stating this, Human Resource Minister M. Kulasegaran said it is his hope that all Malaysians would be provided coverage under the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

"After taking office in my ministry, the first thing that I have always felt that should be done is that Socso must cover every Malaysian citizen. So the first sector that will be looked into are housewives," he told theSun.

Noting the government's move to initiate Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings for housewives via 2% of their husband's contribution, Kulasegaran said the Pakatan Harapan government is looking into more benefits for housewives.

"We have worked out for 1.2 million women in particular who will be given the Socso coverage with the basic minimum salary adjustment. Although they are not working, they (will be) given," he said.

Similarly, he said specific organisations or associations can also write in to the ministry to be considered if they are not covered under Socso, like newspaper vendors.

"I have instructed Socso to see how this can be extended for the whole nation. In the sense that all the 30 million people that we have, all of them will be covered by Socso," Kulasegaran said, adding that the mechanisms of this plan is still being studied.

He also noted that Socso coverage extended to all self-employed taxi drivers has not been taken up.

"Unfortunately, although it is extended to them, many of them did not take it up despite the coverage being good. This is what we are looking at now on how to enforce this," he added.

Earlier on May 30, Kulasegaran said the ministry's legal advisers have been tasked to review the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 to ensure spouses who work for their partners are accorded the necessary benefits as employees.

Socso which works like an insurance organisation for all employees in Malaysia, is responsible to provide fund and benefits to all registered contributors in case of emergencies, injuries, or even death.

Employees below 60 years old are required to contribute to both the Employment Injury Scheme and Invalidity Scheme, while those above 60 are only required to contribute to the Invalidity Scheme.

The Sun