More than 4,000 sign up for i-Suri

Wan Azizah: Move not just to fulfil manifesto but also to protect welfare of women

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 4,000 women have signed up for the i-Suri incentive scheme since registration opened last Wednesday, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said as of Aug 23, a total of 4,365 women had registered for the housewives’ Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account.

“The implementation of the i-Suri scheme is not just to fulfil the pledges in the government’s mani- festo, but also to protect the welfare of women, especially those who are housewives,” she said in her speech at the National Council of Women’s Organisations of Malaysia (NCWO) Women’s Day dinner here yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said the first phase of i-Suri was aimed at women on the e-Kasih programme, a national database of those in poverty, including housewives, single mothers, widows and single women.

She said those who contribute a monthly minimum of RM5 would receive a contribution of RM40 from the government a month.

It was previously reported that a total of 359,065 Malaysians under e-Kasih are eligible for phase one of i-Suri, of which there are 221,890 housewives, 98,536 widows, 28,116 divorcees and 10,433 unmarried women.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah said her ministry would be utilising an existing data system known as the National Social Issues Information to enable the ministry to form better conclusions about the welfare of women in Malaysia.

The data would be collected and compiled from various agencies, she said on the matter.

“The data system will also ease the preparation of reports (about women’s welfare) to relevant international bodies such as the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” she said.

One of the issues concerning the welfare of women was safety and security in the digital realm, Dr Wan Azizah said.

Also present at the event were Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim and NCWO president Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin.

The data system will also ease the preparation of reports (about women’s welfare) to relevant international bodies... Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail