SOCSO Benefits - should it not justly apply for all Workers in Malaysia?

Social Security - this is generally a scheme that assists workers (and/or their families and dependents) in the event that the worker dies or injures himself/herself while at work, while on the way and back from work, or suffers from some occupational disease. Today, it also covers many workers totally, irrespective of whether it was a work-related accident or occupational disease. 

Under the Social Security Act - the worker who suffers total/partial disability is assisted by a sort of 'pension scheme' where he/she will be paid monthly a certain sum to ensure his/her and their families welfare, and in the event of death, the family gets some assistance - on-going assistance from the Social Security Board.

BUT, when it comes to migrant workers and some others, who are not covered by the Social Security Act but the Workmens Compensation Act, the situation is very different and the pay-offs of compensation is all one off payments. For accidents, it operates live personal injury accidents, where you have to lose some digits - so, when there permanent partial disability without really any loss of limbs, one may not get anything. These pay-offs, not being permanent 'pension-like' payments also is unjust and detrimental for the worker and their families livelihood thereadter - and as such this is a DISCRIMINATION that must be addressed.

With regards a Malaysian worker under SOCSO, the kind of pay-offs are seen in the article below, but note the same does not happen for those under the Workmen's Compensation Act..

Widower of six gets Socso benefits

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Steven Chen

Mohd Johan Hassanushi, 47, a widower of six children will be receiving money from the Socso pension scheme after his wife died early this year while she is still under employment in a supermarket.

The pension benefits will be awarded to the husband since his wife was a contributor of Socso prior to her death and in such a case, she is covered by the Socso insurance and protection scheme.

Batu Pahat district Socso office manager, Jumak Abdullah said, widower Mohd Johan Hassanushi will be receiving a pension of RM786.30 monthly from Socso effective January, 2012 after his wife, Yohani Mohamad Akhiak, 43, passed away.

Yohani was a contributor of Socso for four years before she passed away on Janaury 2, 2012 after succumbing to a severe form of viral infection.

The Socso pension benefits will have to be shared between Mohd Johan and his six children which is RM5.24 a day for Mohd Johan and RM3.50 a day for the children, said Jumak Abdullah.

On top of that, the children can also enjoy the pension benefits if they were to continue their education up to tertiary level or up to the age of twenty-four.

Prior to all this, Socso has also given the family a sum of RM1,800 for the funeral expenses.

Jumak Abdullah urged Socso contributors and employers to contact the Socso office for assistance in the event of any death and or accident that occurs in their workplace.

Picture taken from: hornbillunleashed.files.wordpress.com - Malaysiakini's Komunitikini, 2/3/2012, Widower of six gets Socso benefits