OVER 860,000 SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTE TO PERKESO, ART SECTOR CONTRIBUTORS STILL LOW - STEVEN SIM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- Although over 860,000 self-employed individuals contribute to the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) under its Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (LINDUNG Kendiri), the arts sector still registers as the group with the lowest social security coverage, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said.

As of November, 860,016 self-employed individuals in the sectors including food transport, food delivery and traders, have registered with PERKESO but only 9,660, or 1.12 per cent, are from the arts sector.

“Therefore, we need to redouble our efforts and spread information about our matching contribution allocations, especially among those in the arts sector as they are also exposed to various unexpected work risks,” he told reporters after attending the LINDUNG: Hati Nan Prihatin musicalisation programme, jointly organised by PERKESO, the Professional Film Workers Association of Malaysia (PROFIMA) and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) here tonight.

Tonight’s musicalisation programme is an awareness platform to raise public awareness about the importance of social security for self-employed individuals.

Sim said efforts to boost art sector involvement need to be intensified through matching contributions, with the government allocating subsidies of up to 70 per cent for LINDUNG Kendiri contributions in the Budget 2026, including non-compulsory sectors, while PERKESO has channelled beneifts to 6,815 LINDUNG Kendiri contributors from January to October, with total payments exceeding RM25.9 million.

PERKESO is now focused on raising awareness and participation in the arts industry, which operates independently without permanent employers, making them the group most exposed to risk of losing their incomes due to injury, accidents or the inability to work, he added.

-- BERNAMA