PERKESO TO CHANNEL ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF UNIVERSITY EXPLOSION

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- The Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) has mobilised its Prihatin Squad to look into the assistance that can be extended to victims of the explosion at a private university in Bukit Damansara last Monday, which claimed the life of a student.

In a statement today, PERKESO said two of the individuals injured in the incident were contributors under the LINDUNG Pekerja scheme and are therefore eligible to receive benefits.

It said the victims, Teh Wee Leon, 32, who is a lecturer, and contractor Liew Yeng Chen, 55, are eligible to receive Temporary Disability Benefits (FHUS).

“In addition, PERKESO will also examine other forms of assistance that may be extended to the victims. It is hoped that this support will help ease the burden on them and their families, who are undoubtedly still in shock following this tragic incident,” read the statement.

PERKESO added that it will contact the employers of the affected individuals directly to report the accident and to facilitate the next steps in the benefits application process.

Further checks revealed that three other injured victims — comprising maintenance contractors and canteen workers — were not registered as SOCSO contributors, while the remaining victims were students.

“A detailed investigation will be conducted into the employers involved to determine the reasons for the failure to register contributions for the affected workers, excluding students,” it said.

PERKESO also said that the information related to the case will be channelled to other relevant agencies to ensure that appropriate assistance is provided to all victims.

According to media reports, one student was killed, and nine others were injured in the air-conditioning gas explosion at Help University last Monday.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus was reported as saying that the deceased was identified as Soo Yu Juan, 24, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) who was undergoing industrial training at the time of the incident.

-- BERNAMA