No pay cuts for wife’s EPF
> Deductions to be derived from husband’s existing 11% contribution
PETALING JAYA: There will be no additional deduction from a husband’s salary to accommodate the 2% Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for housewives, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The amount will be taken from the husband’s 11% monthly statutory contribution.
Her statement was in response to speculation that an additional deduction would be implemented for the move, that was opposed by some quarters.
“We are not taking away an additional 2% from (the (husband’s) salary. The figure will be deducted from their current 11% contribution.
“We are just asking ... give due recognition to all wives. What’s wrong with that?” she told a press conference after a visit to the Rumah Ehsan Kuala Kubu Baru social welfare centre yesterday.
The Pakatan Harapan government had pledged in its election manifesto to introduce EPF contributions to housewives within the first 100 days of its administration.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had earlier said the government has no right to order such deductions.
On the latest development, its secretarygeneral J. Solomon lauded the announcement, saying MTUC has no reservations in the 2% coming from the 11% existing EPF deduction.
He said the EPF Act 1951 would need to be amended for the introduction of a widows and orphan’s scheme, that he said would be most appropriate for housewives and orphans aged below 18, in the event of the death of the husband.
He also stressed the need to look into the welfare of housewives whose husbands were not EPF contributors, noting that only about 50% of the workforce contribute to the fund.
On husbands with more than one wife, she said: “We have not detailed it out yet, but we’ll discuss that.”