PETALING JAYA: Nearly 90% of Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) claims have been rejected since 2018 because they did not qualify under current rules, said the Human Resource Ministry.
At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, responding to a question from Tampin MP Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN), Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said that PERKESO received 538,000 claims between 2018 and August this year, of which nearly 27,000 were turned down.
To that, the Ministry plans to introduce the Non-Workplace Accident Scheme (Skim Kemalangan Bukan Bencana Kerja, SKBBK), which will extend 24-hour protection to employees during their period of employment, including accidents that occur outside working hours and are unrelated to their jobs.
“This situation not only creates financial hardship for workers and families but also adds pressure on the public healthcare system. An audit report revealed outstanding medical bills of RM360 million as of December 31, 2024,” Sim said.
PERKESO will bear the medical costs of contributors under the new scheme.
Mohd Isam said he welcomed the move, calling it more than a welfare measure.
“Twenty-four-hour social protection is not just about welfare but a long-term economic strategy that can reduce social costs and strengthen the nation’s competitiveness,” he said, before asking whether housewives, hawkers and foreign workers would be covered.
To that, Sim said that both gig and foreign workers would be eligible under SKBBK if registered under Act 4, while housewives are already protected under the Lindung Kasih scheme.
“I am genuinely moved that the Honourable Member raised this point. Housewives are the frontliners of the care economy.
“Unlike regular workers who have punch-in and punch-out hours, housewives are essentially working 24 hours a day.
“That is why under Lindung Kasih, they are given 24-hour protection by the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a separate written reply on October 8, Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN) raised the question of rising disputes among contract workers in a written submission.
The Human Resources Ministry said the Labour Department (JTK) recorded 9,452 complaints in 2023, 11,760 in 2024 and 12,333 so far this year.
The ministry said the cases involved unpaid wages, excessive working hours and breaches of contracts. Among the measures taken were compliance orders requiring employers to pay outstanding salaries or honour agreed terms, directives to enforce claims through the Labour Court, and in serious cases, prosecution.
“Employers found guilty may face penalties of up to RM50,000, depending on the severity of the offence,” the ministry said, adding that the actions reflected the government’s seriousness in protecting worker welfare.