PETALING JAYA: J. Bala, 43, was riding his motorcycle home after running errands earlier this year when it suddenly began to pour.
His first instinct was to seek shelter at the nearest shoplot.
However, the slippery roads caused his vehicle to veer out of control and crash, leaving him with a broken leg.
“I wanted to make a claim with the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) but a friend, familiar with such claims, said that it was not possible as the incident was not in line with my scope of work.
“Eventually, my company bore the costs of the treatment for my mishap,” he said.
Bala’s predicament however, may soon become a thing of the past with PERKESO set to roll out its Lindung 24 Jam scheme from June 1.
The scheme offers round-the-clock protection for employees, with the cost of medical treatment also covered by PERKESO. Employees will pay slightly more for the extra coverage.
Worker unions have welcomed the move, but are urging the government to consider subsidising early contributions to ensure it does not impact monthly employee wages.
National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industries Workers secretary-general N. Gopal Kishnam said employees have been looking forward to the scheme as the majority do not have sufficient insurance coverage.
“We believe that less than 40% of Malaysians are privately insured.
“The majority of the 16 million workers, including migrant workers, do not have enough coverage because of the financial constraints or insufficient income,” he said.
Since this additional premium would be deducted from wages, he expressed the union’s full support for the immediate implementation of the scheme.
“Maybe for a start the government can subsidise a certain percentage of the additional contribution for the next five years,” he said.
The National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) said the scheme is crucial as journalists require continuous protection at all times, given the unpredictable nature of news reporting.
“At present, not all journalists have full insurance coverage due to economic constraints faced by media organisations and media practitioners themselves,” said NUJM general secretary Teh Athira Mohammed Yusof.
“We also hope the government can consider subsidising initial contribution deductions among media practitioners,” she said during an interview.
She also called for the initiative to be extended to freelance journalists.
“Greater awareness programmes and outreach efforts are similarly needed, especially on the importance of social protection and insurance coverage as many journalists and media workers carrying out duties on the ground are still underpaid and may not prioritise insurance contributions,” Teh Athira added.
A human resources professional who wanted to be known as James said that while payments for the scheme would be deducted from the employee’s salaries, it was still worth it for the overall protection offered.
“Yes, employers do not bear the cost. However, employees do get better overall coverage regardless if accidents happen outside working hours,” he said.
