Self-Employment Social Security Act amendment to be tabled, says Ramanan

 The human resources minister says it would be tabled in the next parliamentary sitting, after receiving Cabinet approval.

Human resources minister R Ramanan said the move was important to ensure that the safety and welfare of Malaysian workers abroad, continued to be safeguarded.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 The proposed amendment to the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 is expected to be tabled at the next parliamentary session, says human resources minister R Ramanan.

He said the amendment, which aims to expand the coverage by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) to include Malaysians working overseas, would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat after obtaining approval from the Cabinet.

“The bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat after receiving Cabinet approval, and the Act will be enforced this year once it is passed, as the safety and health of workers cannot be left unattended,” Ramanan said.

He said the move was important to ensure that the safety and welfare of Malaysian workers abroad, especially those working in neighbouring countries, continued to be safeguarded.

According to Ramanan, about 480,000 Malaysians commute daily to Singapore for work, while 54 fatal accidents were recorded last year, stressing that this group also deserved the same level of protection as other workers in Malaysia.

He added that the scheme had been carefully designed to prevent abuse, with Perkeso also having a clear basis for its implementation. - FMT