At present, Malaysians are eligible for both the employment injury scheme (EIS) and the invalidity pension scheme, while migrant workers are only eligible for the EIS.
The EIS provides social security coverage for employment-related injuries, while the invalidity pension scheme provides coverage for other than employment-related injuries.
North-South Initiative (NSI) executive director Adrian Pereira told FMT that Socso should not be “discriminatory” towards migrant workers and should provide them coverage regardless of their legal status.
Pereira said the country’s economy relied heavily on undocumented migrant workers and Socso “cannot afford to be too bureaucratic in this matter”.
Irene Xavier, consultant and co-founder of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS), said Socso must expand the benefits given to migrant workers.
She said it must also make it easier for all workers to apply for aid. “They have made workers go to court just to get a few thousand ringgit, despite the money being theirs. The workers subscribe to Socso so that their money can be used to help other workers.
“Socso is being managed like an investment company rather than as a scheme conceived for the workers. They need to change their attitude,” she told FMT.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said it was unfair to leave migrant workers out of the invalidity pension scheme.
“MTUC is engaging with the human resources ministry to push for equal treatment for all Malaysian and migrant workers. Even Malaysians working overseas are treated as equal to their local peers,” he said.
According to Socso, a total of 1,897,212 migrant workers are contributing to the organisation as of Oct 16.
Deputy human resources minister Awang Hashim also said Socso had paid over RM11.19 million in compensation to employees infected with Covid-19 at workplaces, involving 15,036 cases, as of Sept 18. Of the total, more than RM10 million was paid to Malaysian workers (13,170 cases) and the remainder to foreign workers (1,866 cases).
In addition, more than RM3.5 million had been paid out for the funeral expenses of 1,792 Malaysian Covid-19 victims, and RM3,500 for the funeral expenses of two migrant workers.