Amjad Rabi, a visiting expert at Universiti Malaya, said the current system caters mainly to salaried employees and those living in poverty.

He called for a comprehensive framework to ensure everyone enjoyed basic social protection, including security of income and access to health education and other vital services.

Broad protection would effectively reduce poverty and inequality without focusing solely on income levels, he said and would avoid errors in aid programmes.

“In 2018, the government cash aid programmes covered 63.2% of Malaysia’s population, exceeding its intended target of the B40 group by 23.2%, indicating an inclusion error,” said Rabi, a former adviser to the International Labour Organization office in Iraq.

He said screening processes that create “in” and “out” group divisions should be ended. “Removing eligibility barriers enhances inclusivity and fosters a stronger sense of community for beneficiaries,” he said.

Another policy analyst, Edwin Goh, said the current social protection system is hampered by duplication, fragmented administration, inadequate coverage, and poor targeting mechanisms.

He suggested that the Malaysian Social Protection Council be given a strong political mandate to implement bold reforms.

“These reforms could include rationalising duplicated programmes, establishing a centralised social protection database, and creating a unified social protection registry.”

Previously, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations had called on the government to establish a social protection floor to reform the country’s social security system and protect the more vulnerable.