Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the proposed legislation will be tabled by the human resources ministry after the conclusion of the debate on the Supply Bill 2025, Bernama reported.

“This Act will introduce a safety net for gig workers, ensuring comprehensive protection that includes not only contributions to the EPF but also coverage from the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

“It will also have provisions for medical treatment costs,” he told newsmen after the launch of the Malaysia Madani Gig Economy Convention here today.

The government had earlier announced that it wanted to give greater protection to the 1.16 million gig workers nationwide.

Zahid said this will make Malaysia one of the first countries to enact specific legislation for gig workers.

He said current labour laws did not specifically address the latest developments in the gig economy.

He said the Malaysian Gig and Labour Union Secretariat had proposed extending Socso’s protection to cover gig workers outside their official working hours.

The convention drew about 600 participants, including gig economy workers, platform operators, policy-makers, government representatives and corporate stakeholders.