KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 864 high-profile individuals, including VVIPs, MPs and state assemblymen, have been identified for failing to fulfil their Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) obligations towards their domestic workers.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said they were among 10,033 employers of domestic workers identified as having failed to meet their registration or contribution obligations, based on checks conducted by PERKESO as of Nov 1.
He said another 26,669 employers had outstanding contributions requiring further checks and follow-up action.
Asked whether the high-profile individuals included ministers, Ramanan said the list went beyond that.
“Some are even higher-ranking than ministers. I am not trying to make an issue out of this, but these are workers’ rights,” he told reporters after attending the handover ceremony of PERKESO benefits to the next of kin of victims of the floods and landslides that struck the Nepal-China border region.
The event was also attended by PERKESO group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
Ramanan stressed that an individual’s position, rank, influence or status should not be an excuse for neglecting their responsibilities as an employer.
“We cannot talk about workers’ welfare and rights if we fail to fulfil even the most basic responsibilities towards the workers in our own homes.
“Leadership by example must begin with compliance with the law,” he said.
Ramanan said he had directed PERKESO to strengthen monitoring and enforcement without compromise, including taking appropriate action against employers who failed to fulfil their obligations.
He added that domestic workers did not refer only to housekeepers, but also included gardeners, drivers, elderly caregivers and babysitters who played important roles in households.
“I am giving employers until Dec 7 to settle their outstanding contributions. Those who failed to do so will face legal action,” he added.
Ramanan said enforcement would begin with the issuance of compounds, followed by possible fines of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to two years or both, and the names of employers involved would be made public if they failed to take action by the deadline.
On the event, Ramanan said 28 families were eligible to receive PERKESO benefits totalling RM174,000.
He said PERKESO had screened 54 victims and found that 28 met the contribution requirements for benefits to be paid to their eligible next of kin.
The families would receive immediate financial assistance of RM3,000 each and would also be eligible for the Survivors’ Pension under the Invalidity Scheme.
“The payment process will begin once the relevant information and documents have been completed,” he said.
At the ceremony, PERKESO benefits were handed over to the families of 16 victims.
Ramanan said PERKESO had carried out thorough checks to ensure no eligible beneficiaries were left out.
He also commended the PERKESO Prihatin Squad and its personnel for their swift efforts to trace the victims’ next-of-kin and obtain the necessary information.
