KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4) to introduce 24-hour protection for workers under the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) are scheduled to be tabled in the upcoming Parliament session.
"The amendment will guarantee continued protection for workers outside office hours, reflecting the evolving nature of today's workplace," said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong in a statement on Saturday (Oct 4)
According to the Parliament website, the Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament would convene from this Monday (Oct 6) until Dec 4.
Sim said that between 2015 and 2025, Malaysia recorded a 63% increase in the number of workers covered under social security, alongside a rise in the maximum benefits paid to insured persons, from RM2,655 in 2015 to RM5,355 this year.
He said Malaysia was among the few countries in the world to extend social protection coverage to housewives through initiatives such as the “Lindung Kasih” scheme and the Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) i-Suri programme, which have collectively benefited more than 500,000 housewives as of 2024.
Meanwhile, Sim congratulated Perkeso, EPF, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) [KWAP] and the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department (ICU JPM) for successfully hosting the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) meetings in Kuala Lumpur recently.
He also extended his appreciation to Perkeso Chief Executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed, who was re-elected as ISSA President for the 2026-2028 term. – Bernama
