Minister Steven Sim said the move necessitates amending the Employment Act, a process they will begin this year.

“Housewives do not have a retirement age. We will align it to be the same in the Employment Act as in the Socso scheme, and change it from 55 to 60 years,” he said here today.

Sim said the move will allow over 720,000 women in Malaysia to be protected under the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) social security scheme for housewives.

On May 30 last year, former human resources minister V Sivakumar revealed that over 176,000 housewives had been covered under a social security scheme launched in November the previous year.

The 176,883 housewives under the scheme to date make up only 35% of the 500,000 target set by the ministry in 2023.

Sim also said the ministry aims to recognise women working in the care economy or sector.

“Therefore, we wish to provide protection to our target of 500,000 women covered under the social security scheme for housewives, compared to 200,000 last year,” he said.

Sim also announced the appointment of former Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto as the chairman of the Socso social security committee for housewives.

“I am confident that her track record as an MP and an outstanding advocate for women’s rights and human rights will undoubtedly strengthen the committee, Socso, and the human resources ministry as a whole,” he said.