Much-needed perks: A file photo of foreign workers arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 on May 31. The latest move will allow for enhanced protection of foreigners, including expatriates and domestic workers, employed in Malaysia.
This will see additional costs for both foreign workers and employers, with industry players estimating that this can go up to over RM140mil a year for bosses alone. He said before the extension of the scheme to foreign workers, Socso had been reimbursing up to RM4,500 for the cost of funeral repatriation for non-employment related deaths as a part of its corporate social responsibility.
Dr Mohammed Azman said the 24-hour protection would also complement the current Employment Injury Scheme, which only covers work-related injuries. “In addition to this, employers can still enrol their foreign workers under private insurance if they choose to or as required by other authorities, such as the Health Insurance Scheme Foreign Workers under the Health Ministry,” Dr Mohammed Azman added.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers said the move would lead to a 0.5% increase in the employees’ monthly wages for the employers.