He said the SIP bill would be tabled in the Dewan Negara next Monday.

He said although the SIP was opposed by employers, the scheme was important as it would act as a safety net and ensure retrenched workers were protected.

“If SIP is implemented immediately, private sector workers who have been retrenched will be able to receive temporary financial assistance for up to six months,” the minister said in his speech at a Christmas celebration with Socso beneficiaries here today.

He said under the SIP, both employers and employees would contribute 0.2% each. The payouts to eligible recipients are expected to begin from January 2019.

However, Riot said workers who were retrenched in 2018 were eligible to receive interim benefits in the form of cash allowance for a maximum of three months.

“The interim benefits are funded by the government under a RM122 million allocation channelled to Socso.”

Meanwhile, in KANGAR, Menteri Besar Azlan Man said the state government was prepared to look into a proposal to consider Socso protection for civil servants serving statutory bodies and the local authorities in the state.

He said the proposal by the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services required thorough study, especially in terms of its financial implications.

“Since this is a good suggestion, we will look at it positively. However, we need to scrutinise it closely and study its full implications to avoid future problems,” he told reporters at the National Union of Local Authority Employees conference here today.