DEWAN RAKYAT PASSES TWO BILLS RELATED TO EMPLOYEE PROTECTION

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Rakyat today passed the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025, which, among other measures, seeks to introduce the Lindung 24/7 protection scheme, providing employees with comprehensive coverage at all times, including outside working hours.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said that the implementation of the scheme would benefit nearly 10 million formal workers nationwide.

When winding up debate on the bill in the Dewan Rakyat, Sim said that the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) had the capability and readiness to ensure the smooth implementation of the scheme, once it comes into force.

bootstrap slideshow

“The average processing time for claims under Perkeso over the past year was about 24 hours, demonstrating its efficiency in ensuring cases are handled promptly.

“Perkeso does not compromise on efficiency. On average, claims are processed within 1.29 days,” he said.

Sim said that the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) is also conducting a study on incentives for contributors who do not make any claims within a specified period.

Earlier, when tabling the bill for the second reading, Sim said 12,306 claims had been rejected by Perkeso from 2023 until last October, after they were determined not to fall under the category of occupational accidents.

He said that this number underscored the importance of implementing the Non-Occupational Accident Safety Scheme (SKBBK), which is included in the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025.

He added that the scheme’s introduction was intended to prevent thousands of families from having to bear treatment and recovery costs on their own, simply because an accident occurred outside working hours.

The bill was passed by a majority voice vote, after being debated by 10 government and opposition Members of Parliament (MPs).

Meanwhile, the Dewan Rakyat also approved the Employment Insurance System (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks, among other provisions, to increase benefits for Perkeso contributors who lose their jobs, and to strengthen the governance of the Employment Insurance System (SIP).

Deputy Human Resources Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, when winding up the bill, said that, as of Nov 30, a total of 57,094 workers, or 85.3 per cent, had received various SIP benefits, out of 69,923 job-loss cases recorded by Perkeso over the past five years.

“The total value of SIP benefits approved amounts to RM437.19 million, and the government remains committed to ensuring that assistance continues to be delivered swiftly, transparently and effectively, so that affected workers can sustain themselves while re-entering the job market,” he said.

The bill was approved with a majority vote, after being debated by six MPs from both the government and the opposition.

-- BERNAMA