Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 2025 budget on Friday, said the government plans to make it compulsory for all non-Malaysian workers to contribute to EPF.

In a statement, Zulqarnain said the move is in line with the retirement fund’s goal of providing social protection for all employees.

“Currently, non-Malaysian workers can opt to contribute to the EPF voluntarily.

“The new policy (on compulsory deductions) is expected to benefit over two million non-Malaysian workers in the country,” he said in a statement today.

Zulqarnain also expressed support for the government’s move to improve the i-Saraan programme by raising the matching incentive from 15% to 20%, with a maximum of RM500 per year and a lifetime cap of RM5,000 per individual.

It will come into force on Jan 1 and is expected to benefit over 330,000 current and new i-Saraan participants.

The i-Saraan programme allows the self-employed or those without a fixed income to make voluntary contributions to EPF.

Zulqarnain said i-Saraan recorded total contributions of RM1.61 billion from 330,196 members in the first half of the year, reflecting a 103% increase from RM789.3 million. It also marks a 56% rise in membership compared to 211,361 in the same period of 2023.

“By addressing the needs of various segments of society, including youths, working adults, women and senior citizens, the government is laying the foundation for a more equitable and resilient future,” said Zulqarnain.