Due protection for those working for spouses

IPOH: The Human Resource Ministry is looking into amending the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 to ensure spouses who work for their partners be accorded the necessary benefits.

Minister M. Kulasegaran said the ministry’s legal advisers have been tasked to review the Act and the amendments could be made as soon as next week.

Kulasegaran said he had taken up a case here by a woman who was denied compensation for Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits last year because she was employed by her husband.

“She is qualified for Employees Provident Fund but not Socso.

“It should be common sense. The wife should be treated as an employee,” he said after visiting the Mekprasit Buddhist Temple here in conjunction with Wesak Day yesterday.

“It’s not just the wife. Even a husband, who works for his partner, should also be given due protection,” he said, adding that the Act should be a “safety net insurance” for all legal workers in the country.

Under Paragraph 5 of the First Schedule to the Act, spouses are not entitled for Socso benefits if they work for their partners. Kulasegaran said the amendment would be important for all workers, especially those that fall under the B40 (those earning below RM4,000) group.

“All employees should be covered in the country,” he said.

On another matter, Kulasegaran said the people have every right to choose the jobs they want and that it was not about being fussy. The main issue is that the salary offered is too low.

“An initial study showed that since the implementation of the minimum wage, more people are coming back to work,” he said.

Kulasegaran also said the ministry would review the country’s foreign workers policy, allowing their employment out of necessity but priority would be given to locals.

“We cannot compare salary of locals with foreign workers.

Kulasegaran said it would cost a lot more to hire foreign workers because of middlemen and this approach needed a review.