IT’S AN INSURANCE FOR YOUR FUTURE, SAYS CONTRIBUTOR

PETALING JAYA: Former banking executive Zulkifli Jamaluddin did not know that an innocent game of badminton would change the course of his life.

“I was playing badminton when I accidentally slammed into a glass door. My right hand was injured badly, with more than 40% of the nerves damaged,” said Zulkifli, who lives with his family in Kuala Lumpur.

The injury, sustained in January last year, forced the 47yearold to opt for early retirement due to medical reasons.

“It was hard to continue working, as I found it difficult to do many tasks involving my hand after the incident.

“It’s hard to write, drive... it’s even hard to dress myself,” he said, adding that he had lost most of the ability to use his right hand.

Zulkifli said he counted himself lucky, as he had been a contributor to Social Security Organisation (Socso) since he started working in 1993.

He said the monthly benefit payment he received from Socso after his early retirement helped cushion the financial blow to his family.

“I feel so relieved that I have this, as it adds to my income after retirement (apart from retirement fund from the company and Employees Provident Fund payment),” he said.

With three children still in school, Zulkifli said the monthly payment from Socso helped tremendously. As his wife is the sole provider for the family now, every bit of additional income helped.

Meanwhile, mother Kamaliah Osman ( pic) was glad that both her sons Mohd Faisal Rosli and Muhammad Asraf Rosli were Socso contributors, in view of the tragedy that befell them.

Both of her sons were involved in traffic accidents that rendered them unable to work and needing care.

Kamaliah said her younger son, Asraf, 29, became paralysed after his accident in 2005 while the eldest son Mohd Faisal, 35, had been in a coma since his accident earlier this year.

According to Kamaliah, she would not know how things would be financially for the family had her sons not been Socso contributors.

“Both my sons were contributors, so now I can claim their monthly payments to take care of them,” said the 61yearold, who left her job at the Police Cooperative to care for her sons after their accidents.

Kamaliah said she needed to be beside Faisal’s side almost constantly, as he had to be fed with special milk every four hours, which made it impossible for her to keep her job.

Her husband, she said, was unable to work as diabetes had caused blindness in one eye.

“The payments help so much, otherwise we would be very tight financially,” she said, adding that she also received financial assistance from the Welfare Department.

She said that Socso had also provided the family with highlow Fowler beds for the use of her sons, which she said helped her immensely.

Kamaliah strongly believes that those who are working should contribute monthly to Socso, as it would protect them in any contingency.

“It’s for your own future,” she stressed.