SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) through the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) will conduct a study on a social security insurance scheme for Malaysians working in Singapore, especially those who commute daily to the republic.
Minister Steven Sim, who is in Singapore to attend the 28th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM), said he made this commitment to the Malaysian diaspora here following feedback from the group requesting some form of social security insurance.
“My commitment to them is that we will get Perkeso to study the viability and mechanisms, as it’s not easy because we don’t provide the employment pass for them - it’s provided by the Singapore side.
“My commitment to them is that we want to provide some form of social security because they are Malaysians,” he told the media after meeting Malaysian diaspora in Salam Dari Malaysia programme on Tuesday night here.
It is estimated that more than 1.18 million Malaysians currently work in Singapore with approximately between 300,000 to 400,000 commuting daily across the causeway.
Regarding the 28th ALMM which begins on Wednesday, Sim said Malaysia will raise topics including training, green jobs, social security, and migrant workers.
He said during the Senior Labour Officers’ Meeting on Tuesday, Malaysia had presented a proposal to host the ASEAN Year of Skills next year under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship as part of the ministry’s “all out” efforts on skills training.
“This is something that we are looking forward to. The Malaysian skills training sector can become a world-class sector because we have got the industry, the ecosystem, and the experience,” he said.
He said the ASEAN Year of Skills will include various components such as programmes, incentives, and collaborations between different institutions.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Sim encouraged Malaysians abroad to register with the Kesuma and Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd’s (TalentCorp) MyHeart portal, where Malaysians can actively engage and foster collaborations with Kesuma, its agencies, as well as corporations through the platform.
“The Malaysian diaspora should not be viewed as a problem that we have to solve, but really as an asset to the country, and we want to develop this asset wherever you are,” he said.
Since going live last year, the MyHeart portal has gathered Malaysians from 60 countries and connected with more than 40 associations globally.
Also at the event are the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar and TalentCorp Chairman Wong Shu Qi.
