KUCHING: Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Dato’ Sri Hajah Fatimah Abdullah hopes that the EPF scheme for housewives which is being introduced by the Federal government will be implemented well.
“I would like to congratulate Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for proposing the EPF scheme for housewives,” she told New Sarawak Tribune.
Fatimah explained that under her Ministry, there were two departments – the Department of Community Welfare and the Department of Women and Family Sarawak.
“We always come across housewives, especially in divorce cases, who complain that they do not get financial support for themselves and their children. Such situation makes it very difficult for a mother who is not working to raise up the kids by herself.
“Because of that, they always come to the Welfare Department to apply for assistance,” said Fatimah.
“After divorce, it is actually the responsibility of the husband and father to give financial support to the children and not neglect them,” she said.
“However, we discover that there are husbands, after divorce, who do not provide money for household expenses and especially for their children’s education.
“So this is where the savings through the EPF scheme for housewives will benefit the women who are divorced and also the children that they are looking after.
“So, I support what is being implemented by Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah,” said Fatimah.
The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme for housewives, introduced by the Pakatan Harapan government, is in line with Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto to initiate social security for women who depend on their husbands for incomes.
The scheme is expected to start this year on a voluntary basis. It will transfer two percentage of the husband’s existing 11 per cent EPF contribution to the wife’s EPF account.
This contribution will be topped up with a RM50 contribution from the government.
The scheme will also create a more equitable family relations between spouses while providing a wider safety net for the family institution.
