KUCHING: The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Ministry hopes that the Housewives Social Security (HSS) Bill 2022 will include housewives in M40 or the middle income group.
“At the moment, there is the Insentif Suri (i-Suri) voluntary contribution under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) which gives benefits to housewives in the e-Kasih database for the poor.
“Thus, it would be good if the Bill could include this group and not only housewives in the B40 group,” minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said on Tuesday (July 26).
She was commenting on the Bill, which passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 25.
The Bill stated that housewives who contribute to the scheme managed by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) are entitled to disability benefits, medical coverage, permanent disability benefit, constant attendance allowance, survivor’s pension and funeral benefit.
“On the surface, although details on how the scheme is to be implemented is yet to be received, the insurance coverage sounds good.
“It will provide a safety net (social safety net) to the wife,” Fatimah added.
She said housewives who contributed to the scheme would be entitled to medical benefits and disability benefits.
“Even after their divorce or husband’s death, they are still entitled to the benefits until the end of the contribution period.”
Earlier, federal Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Awang Hashim, when tabling the Bill, said it only applied to housewives below the age of 55 and not those who have reached the age of 54 and had never contributed to the Housewife Social Security Scheme (SKSSR).
