Viral video case: Melaka to ensure welfare of disabled elderly man guaranteed
State Women's Affairs, Family Development and Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Kalsom Nordin said Mazalan Ahmad, 61, who is now undergoing treatment at the Melaka Hospital will be placed at a private senior citizens' care centre in Muar, Johor after he is discharged from hospital.
She said part of the monthly costs for the care centre, which provides intensive care especially for chronic diabetic patients among the elderly, will be covered by the Melaka Islamic Religious Council (MAIM) and the other half by her.
"We, together with the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), have managed the disability pension that he should receive, which amounts to RM975 per month," she told reporters after visiting the man at the Melaka Hospital here today.
"Perkeso will also assist with basic needs such as food supplies, disposable diapers and prosthetic limbs."
On her visit, Kalsom was accompanied by Melaka Department of Social Welfare director Halyjah Muhammad, and representatives from other agencies including Perkeso and MAIM. - Bernama
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Borneo Post
21 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Rising poor health, invalidity issues preventing Malaysians from working until retirement
Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed KUALA LUMPUR (July 24): As discussions reignite over Malaysia's proposal to raise the retirement age to 65, the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) has warned that the reality on the ground tells a different story, with many Malaysians unable to work until retirement due to poor health and rising invalidity cases. Perkeso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said while the proposal to extend the retirement age may appear logical in the context of Malaysians' longer lifespans, the data shows many workers are being forced to exit the workforce far earlier due to non-communicable diseases and other health conditions. 'Retirement is no longer a guarantee in Malaysia. For many, it has become a privilege they may never reach,' Dr Azman said in a statement. Perkeso data shows invalidity claims have surged by over 160 per cent in the last decade. In 2023 alone, more than 52 out of every 10,000 active workers filed for invalidity, with the average applicant being just 45 years old — far younger than the current retirement age. 'What is more alarming is that 85 per cent of invalidity cases paid in December 2024 were due to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and strokes,' Dr Azman said, noting these conditions reflect years of strain, lack of preventive care, and insufficient early intervention. He opined the idea of simply raising the retirement age without addressing systemic health and income security issues is inadequate, describing it as 'building a bridge for the lucky few while leaving everyone else to swim across'. The CEO also pointed out the limitations of Malaysia's current retirement system, which remains heavily reliant on a defined contribution model through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). The system leaves many at risk, particularly those who are unable to continue working due to health conditions. 'Nearly 75 per cent of EPF members aged 54 have less than RM250,000 in their accounts, translating into a retirement income of less than RM1,050 per month, which is below the national poverty line,' he said. Health-related EPF withdrawals have also increased by 41 per cent since 2015, with over RM93 million withdrawn due to incapacitation in 2023 alone, indicating systemic strain in Malaysia's retirement security model. In response to these challenges, Perkeso has implemented measures such as the Health Screening Programme for workers aged 40 and above, aimed at detecting health issues before they become irreversible, and the Return-to-Work Programme, which assists injured or ill workers in rejoining the workforce through rehabilitation and support. However, Dr Azman stressed that Perkeso's efforts alone are insufficient without broader systemic reform, calling for a new vision for retirement that reflects the diversity of working lives in Malaysia. This includes the introduction of flexible retirement pathways, partial disability options, and minimum income guarantees for those forced to exit the workforce early due to health reasons. 'We must stop treating retirement as a single number, whether 60 or 65, and instead start recognising that the ability to work is not evenly distributed,' Dr Azman said. His remarks come ahead of the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 29, positioning Malaysia at a pivotal moment to address these challenges with input from global best practices. 'This global gathering is not merely a stage for policy exchange. It is a test of sincerity,' Dr Azman said, adding that Malaysia's hosting of the WSSF is an opportunity to learn from other countries facing similar demographic pressures while ensuring those who contributed to the nation's workforce are not left behind. He emphasised the need to design a future that protects all workers, including those who could not work until retirement due to health limitations, ensuring that every worker is seen, valued, and supported. 'Let us not build a future that works only for the fit and fortunate. Let us build one that holds up the weary,' he said. 'Because in the end, what is the point of being the last person standing while others did not make it?' The call for a more compassionate and realistic approach to Malaysia's retirement and social protection framework comes as the nation grapples with an ageing population, rising healthcare costs, and a workforce increasingly impacted by non-communicable diseases. This demands urgent cross-ministerial and multi-stakeholder attention to address dignified ageing and income security for all Malaysians. Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed Perkeso retirement
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
When dignified ageing becomes a distant dream
Dr Mohammed Azman: Malaysia's retirement model is under strain. PERKESO responds not just with payouts, but with prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration – supporting healthier, longer working lives. We often speak of retirement as a reward – a well-earned rest after years of contribution. But in Malaysia today, retirement is no longer a guarantee. For many, it is a privilege they may never reach. As the debate reopens about raising Malaysia's retirement age to 65, the assumption seems logical. Malaysians are living longer and therefore can work longer. But assumptions are not evidence. And at PERKESO, the evidence tells a sobering story. Over the last decade, invalidity claims have surged by more than 160%. In 2023, more than 52 in every 10,000 active workers filed for invalidity. These are not seniors at the edge of retirement. The average applicant is just 45 years old. This is not about a few exceptional cases. This is a pattern. And it is growing. What is more alarming is that 85% of invalidity cases paid in December 2024 were due to noncommunicable diseases – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, strokes. These are not injuries. They are conditions caused by years of strain, lack of preventive care and insufficient early intervention. These are workers who tried to hold on – who ignored the early warning signs, who pushed through pain to keep earning until their bodies gave out well before the system expected them to. It is easy to argue that Malaysians should work longer. But we must first ask – can they? Raising the retirement age to 65 without supporting those who exit early is like building a bridge for the lucky few while leaving everyone else to swim across. And even for those who do make it to retirement age, the road ahead is far from secure. Malaysia is among only 13 countries in the world that still depends heavily on a pure defined contribution retirement model. That means if you do not contribute, you do not accumulate. If you stop working early, you stop building a safety net. The EPF savings reality is stark. Nearly 75% of members aged 54 have less than RM250,000 in their accounts. That translates into a retirement income of less than RM1,050 per month – below the national poverty line – hoping to last for the next 20 years. This is not enough to live. It is barely enough to survive. And that pressure is now showing in the data. EPF health-based withdrawals have risen by 41% since 2015. In 2023 alone, over RM93mil was withdrawn due to incapacitation. This tells us one thing clearly – Malaysia's retirement model is straining at both ends, under the weight of longer lifespans and the rising rate of early exits due to poor health. At PERKESO, we have responded not just with payouts but with solutions. Our Health Screening Programme targets workers aged 40 and above, catching issues before they become irreversible. Our Return-to-Work Programme helps those injured or ill to rejoin the workforce through rehabilitation, career redesign and support. We are not just a compensation agency. We are a partner in prevention, recovery and resilience. But we cannot outpace the problem if the broader system does not change with us. We need a national shift. A new vision for retirement that reflects the diversity of real working lives. That includes flexible retirement pathways, partial disability options and minimum income guarantees for those forced to exit early. We must stop treating retirement as a single number, whether 60 or 65, and instead start recognising that the ability to work is not evenly distributed. Because not every worker gets to choose when they stop. For many, the body makes that decision long before the law does. Let us not design systems that reward only the strongest. Let us protect the ones who gave all they could and then quietly faded out of the workforce – unseen, unsupported and too often, unheard. As the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) draws its curtain on Sept 29 this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia stands at a pivotal crossroads. This global gathering is not merely a stage for policy exchange. It is a test of sincerity. As host, PERKESO welcomes the world not just with hospitality, but with humility. This is a rare opportunity for Malaysia to learn from countries with similar economies, shared demographic pressures and comparable cultural values, yet have found innovative solutions without reinventing the wheel. WSSF allows us to benchmark our systems, challenge our policies and draw collective strength from global wisdom. But more importantly, it is a platform for us to reflect honestly on where we stand and where we must go. It is a moment to decide whether we are content to manage the present or bold enough to reform for the future. But to do so, we must deliver justice to the lives that fell into the crack of our system. The ones who never made it to retirement. The ones who endured until they could no longer stand. The ones who should never have been left behind in the first place. Let us not build a future that works only for the fit and fortunate. Let us build one that holds up the weary. That sees every worker and says, even if you did not make it to the end, you were never meant to be forgotten. Because in the end, the world needs companion. What is the point of being the last person standing at the end of the line while others did not? Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed Group Chief Executive Officer PERKESO
Barnama
5 days ago
- Barnama
Why Some Foreign Workers Remain Underserved Despite PERKESO Coverage
T wo foreign workers were injured on the job in Malaysia but their stories couldn't have been more different. One — Jebaraj Kumar (not his real name) from India — died alone, with his hospital bills unpaid. His body remained in the morgue for nearly two months and was only flown back to India in a closed casket after the outstanding bills were settled. The other — Sri Handayani or Riyanie, a 49-year-old maid from Indonesia — was hit by a car while heading to the grocery store. She was treated and discharged within hours, received a month of physiotherapy, and has since returned to work. The incidents happened about a year apart. The Malaysian government-backed insurance scheme for workers, the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), paid for both medical bills. All workers, foreign and local, are required by law to be enrolled in PERKESO, which not only pays for medical bills for injuries and illnesses sustained at work, but also disability and death benefits. But Jebaraj did not receive any help from PERKESO until almost two months after his death, while Riyanie received assistance almost immediately. Their stories expose the stark difference in outcome on a system that arguably relies too much on employers and luck for workers with little support system here. 'For migrants, it is essential to be covered by (PERKESO) as migrants work in 3D (dirty, dangerous, difficult) sectors where injuries can happen anytime,' said Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, founder and director of the migrant labour rights group Our Journey. 'PERKESO has a very strong system when it works as intended.' Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna. WITHOUT PERKESO The case of Jebaraj illustrates what could happen to a worker if the unthinkable happened without PERKESO's assistance. On March 6, 2024, the 48-year old man from Tamil Nadu, India was working in the kitchen of a restaurant in Bangsar, when a gas tank exploded. He sustained severe burns on 80 per cent of his body and was the only one injured, according to news reports on the incident. He was brought to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for treatment. No one had notified his family. His 25-year-old daughter, who asked to be identified only as Suba, told Bernama via an interpreter that they only knew something was wrong when her father failed to call them at 6.30 pm as scheduled. She called her father's employer, who informed her that Jebaraj had been injured at work and was in the hospital. 'He told me my father was ok, he was awake and talking,' she said via Google Meet. 'We didn't fly to see him because we thought he was going to be ok.' She said in reality, her father was in a coma. She and her mother asked to talk to Jebaraj, or see photos of him recovering in the hospital, but the employer said HKL did not allow any phones on its premises. Things got worse from there. Jebaraj passed away on June 2, 2024. But Suba and her mother would not be able to bury him until almost two months later. She claimed that Jebaraj's employer tried to persuade the family to bury him in Malaysia, citing the extensive paperwork involved in repatriating the body. She then asked her father's friend to check on her father's case and found out that the body had not been released because of unpaid hospital bills. Suba does not know whether her father's employer reported the case to PERKESO, as required by law. In any case, it appears PERKESO was not involved in Rebaraj's case until Sumitha—whose NGO is representing Suba and her mother—petitioned the organisation to cover the hospital bill and provide the entitlements owed to them. When contacted, Jebaraj's employers said he had PERKESO coverage at the time of the incident but did not explain why the hospital bills were left unpaid. PERKESO confirmed to Bernama via WhatsApp that Jebaraj was covered. 'PERKESO has investigated this case and confirmed that the case is covered under the Employment Injury Scheme (Act 4) and eligible to receive benefits from PERKESO,' the group said. Suba confirmed her mother has begun receiving dependent's benefits through the scheme. Malaysia made PERKESO coverage mandatory for foreign workers in 2019, and expanded its Invalidity Scheme to foreign workers in July 2024 to provide disability pension, funeral and death benefits, as well as survivors' benefits. Failure to comply could result in a RM10,000 fine or two-years' imprisonment or both. PERKESO has covered Malaysian workers' since 1971 via the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4), Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (Act 789) and Employment Insurance System Act 2017 (Act 800). WITH PERKESO Riyanie vividly recalls the terrifying moment the car struck her—her body and purse flying into the air. Just moments earlier, she had been waiting for the light to turn green so she could cross. Now, she lay sprawled in the middle of the road in Puchong like a rag doll, blood covering her face and body, the contents of her purse scattered around her. 'I could tell it was bad because there was so much blood. My hand was covered in blood,' said the Indonesian domestic worker to Bernama. Pedestrians and the remorseful driver helped her contact her employer and took her to the nearest clinic and then to Putrajaya Hospital. Her employer met her there, stayed by her side during the X-rays, helped her through treatment for a scalp gash, and arranged her physiotherapy sessions. She also assisted Ryanie fill out the necessary forms. Not once during that time did she worry about accessing medical care, including the physical rehabilitation for muscle damage on her right side. 'I received physiotherapy from PERKESO too—they covered everything,' she said, adding that her employer had enrolled her in the programme as required by law, and also provided coverage under the Indonesian government's workers' insurance scheme. The accident took place on May 6 this year. Today, Riyanie is fully healed, healthy and moving without any aches or pains. She described the entire process as smooth and mostly hassle-free. All she had to do was provide her PERKESO number to the hospital staff, and if she didn't have it, her employer would do it for her. For Riyanie, the system worked as intended. DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE Both are foreign workers who met with an accident at work. Both have PERKESO coverage. Yet, the paths diverged sharply. Experts said the difference came down to how helpful the employers are. For foreign workers, who are often alone and lack a support network here, this reliance on the employer is compounded. Malaysian workers who are recent transplants may be in a similar situation. Bar Council Migrants and Refugees Committee Co-Chair Datuk Seri Ramachelvam told Bernama the onus was mostly on employers contacting PERKESO when accidents happen. 'There's also nothing barring an employee from reporting, but employees are less likely to report it in the sense of the lack of knowledge,' he told Bernama via Zoom. Media reports of serious or deadly incidents are not enough to trigger PERKESO action either as there is no way to know who the workers involved were or whether they were contributors to PERKESO. Under Malaysian law, not all workers are covered. Workers who earn more than RM6,000 are not required to have PERKESO coverage, a ceiling increase from RM 4,000 to RM5,000 on Sept 1, 2022, and another to RM6,000 on Oct 1, 2024. National Association of Human Resources Malaysia (PUSMA) president Zarina Ismail said the way PERKESO is set up, employers have an outsized role in looking after their employees. 'As employers, that is their responsibility. Whether it's a big or small company, once we hire workers—whether foreign or local—it is our duty to ensure their welfare,' she said. Nevertheless, labour experts said most employers are compliant and provide PERKESO and other coverage for their workers as required by law. FILLING IN GAPS That employers should be responsible for their employees' well-being is a given. But a system that hinges on them to activate benefits leaves too much room for failure. Labour experts say to prevent cases such as Jebaraj's, there needs to be changes at the systemic and administrative level. All said better communication between governmental agencies would help plug the gap in reporting and service. Attorney Michael Cheah, who deals with labour issues among others at AmerBON Advocates, blamed government agencies' tendency to work in siloes. 'The system is built in such a way that everyone operates in siloes so there's no integration between the agencies,' he said. Datuk Seri M. Ramachelvam (2023) COPYRIGHT RESERVED Ramachelvam agreed. He said having a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place where one department receiving a report triggers action from another agency would prevent cases from slipping through the cracks. For instance, the law mandates reporting of industrial accidents to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). Should any worker die or be injured, DOSH can take note and inform PERKESO. 'I don't see why, when an accident is reported to the department (DOSH), there should (not) be an SOP for it to notify PERKESO as well—so that PERKESO can follow up,' he said. That future may not be long way off. Even now, the government is in the process of digitalisation and possibly digitally linking their services between agencies, as part of the five-year digitalisation plan, overseen by Jabatan Digital Negara (JDN). In the meantime, Riyanie—who still cares for her employer's elderly mother—considers herself fortunate to be working for a family that follows the rules. A mother of three grown children, she feels assured they will be taken care of should anything happen to her while she's away from home. 'I'm not worried because I have insurance,' she said, smiling. For Suba, her father's passing, alone and unconscious in a strange land, is still a source of pain. She last saw him in 2019 when he was in India for a vacation. 'He was supposed to come back last year to arrange my marriage,' she said. Instead, the next time Jebaraj was back on Indian soil, it was in a closed casket, buried hurriedly at 2 am without a priest attending the burial. 'I'm still heartbroken that I couldn't talk to him before he died.'
