Housewives’ EPF contribution a priority for Wan Azizah

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail signed in for work yesterday as the Minister of Women and Family Development and immediately talked about pushing for Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for housewives.

The Deputy Prime Minister said she would propose an EPF contribution for a housewife to comprise two per cent of the husband’s salary and RM50 from government funds.

She would meet with EPF officers next week to discuss the mechanism for the contribution and the eligibility factor, among others, she said at a press conference after reporting for duty at the ministry here.

“We have to also consider the contribution for the first and second wives in the case of Muslims,” she said.

The EPF contribution for housewives is one of the promises made in the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto that would have to be fulfilled in the first 100 days of the coalition coming to power. PH beat the Barisan Nasional in the general election on May 9 to take over the federal government.

Dr Wan Azizah also said that she was confident the ministry officers and staff would extend their cooperation and assistance to enable her to discharge her duties and responsibilities well.

“I feel that we are going to be a good team,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah arrived at the ministry at about 9 am and was welcomed by the ministry secretary-general Datuk Suriani Ahmad and other ministry officers.

She clocked in at the lobby and went to her office on Level 38.

At the minister’s office, she was presented with a note on the handing over of duties from the former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, and was given a briefing by senior officers.