Cabbies could come under Socso by next May

KUALA LUMPUR: The Self-Employed Act for taxi drivers could be implemented as early as May 2017, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot.

Riot said that the Act would allow taxi drivers who were free agents to contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

“In the 2017 Budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that self-employed Malaysians, in particular taxi drivers, would be able to contribute to Socso.

“This will be good for both the taxi drivers and the country,” he said, adding that with the contribution, the taxi drivers will be protected under Socso’s insurance scheme.

He said that the draft for the Act was being finalised and the Bill would be tabled in Parliament in March 2017.

He, however, said that the details on how the contribution would be paid had not been ironed out yet.

“As taxis fall under Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) jurisdiction, we are in talks with the commission to ensure that the new Act will benefit both taxi drivers and their beneficiaries,” he said at the launching ceremony of the rebranding of Socso at Menara Perkeso here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the rebranding, he said that the process started at the end of 2015 through initiatives such as a new logo, Perkeso Prihatin (Socso Cares), to showcase Socso’s dedication to its members and stakeholders.

“The Socso Cares Squad has also been launched to respond urgently to cases reported by the media.

“When the earthquake occurred in Mount Kinabalu and Ranau, Socso officers were already on the ground to find out which victims were insured under our scheme and within one week they identified those eligible to get benefits under Socso,” he said, citing a recent example.

He added that the squad had also responded to the tragic fire at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor on Tuesday.

He said that the new logo and a series of marketing programmes were to also get more Malaysian workers to become Socso contributors so that they would be covered by the organisation.

He added that 6.5 million workers in the country were insured under Socso.