Kuala lumpur: Malaysia will soon introduce the Non-Employment Injury Scheme to ensure workers are protected beyond office hours, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced. He said the introduction of the scheme stems from a realisation that the pressures of work do not stop at the factory gate or the office door.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar highlighted that in an age of flexible and remote arrangements, this reform will align protection with the realities of how people live and work today. Importantly, it will extend coverage around the clock, acknowledging that accidents and injuries do not adhere to a fixed schedule. Anwar delivered these remarks during his keynote speech at the World Social Security Forum 2025.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, and Minister of Youth and Sports Hannah Yeoh. Other notable attendees included Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, and International Social Security Association (ISSA) president Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
Earlier this month, Sim stated that the Human Resources Ministry is working on amending the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 to provide 24-hour social security protection for employees under the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). Meanwhile, Anwar emphasized that Malaysia is also embedding digital systems to deliver protection more effectively, ensuring no community, however remote, is overlooked.
Anwar further remarked that progress is ongoing, though not yet perfect, but the guiding conviction is clear: true prosperity is not solely measured by economic metrics but by the dignity with which ordinary citizens live their daily lives. He elaborated that social protection should be viewed as a moral infrastructure, referencing earlier civilisations that understood this principle, such as the Islamic tradition of baitulmal, which ensured that wealth served the disadvantaged.
Guided by these principles, Malaysia aims to reshape its social protection framework, extending security to previously uncovered groups such as informal workers, homemakers, and gig riders. Themed 'Shaping Social Security For A World In Transition,' the five-day forum gathers over 1,500 participants from more than 135 countries to chart a global roadmap for an inclusive and sustainable social security system. The forum will culminate in the World Social Security Summit on Friday, setting the tone for the next decade of inclusive and future-ready social security worldwide.