Kuala lumpur: The Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) is investigating the potential for a strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to assess the feasibility of introducing Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) as a treatment option for workers diagnosed with cancer.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Human Resources Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad emphasized that this high-precision cancer treatment technology could reduce long-term side effects compared to conventional methods like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He highlighted the benefits of PBT, which include high radiation target accuracy and the potential to minimize long-term side effects, especially for cancers in critical areas such as the brain, eyes, cranial cavity, and in pediatric cases.
With the support of MOH in clinical protocols, technical expertise, capacity building, specialist training, and policy coordination, Abdul Rahman expressed confidence that Malaysia could become one of the countries capable of offering PBT treatment in the future. He noted that neighboring countries such as Thailand and Singapore have already developed and utilized this technology, demonstrating its achievable implementation.
From 2011 to 2024, PERKESO recorded 384,371 non-communicable disease cases, including 42,054 cancer cases, making up 10.92% of all claims. This positions cancer as a leading cause of worker incapacity.
In other developments, the government is committed to ensuring sustainable income growth to counterbalance rising living costs. This aligns with the Economic Outlook 2026 recommendations for a structured annual salary increment mechanism for private-sector workers based on inflation and productivity. Attention is also being directed towards addressing income disparities between states and their connection to informal and non-standard employment, including gig work, under ongoing minimum wage reviews and wage reform analyses.
The National Wage Consultative Council (NWCC) is conducting an in-depth analysis to reform the wage structure in collaboration with industry players, also considering implications for small and medium enterprises and the need for standardized productivity measurement methods across sectors.
Abdul Rahman mentioned that the NWCC, through its working committee, is closely examining inflation and real wage growth indicators to propose improvements. Discussions with Bank Negara Malaysia are ongoing to ensure effective monitoring and analysis.
Simultaneously, KESUMA is exploring the establishment of an Informal Worker Monitoring Unit to aid the enforcement of the Gig Workers Act, expected to be implemented next year. Abdul Rahman stated that PERKESO aims for every gig worker to have equal social protection rights as formal workers, noting that as of November 21, 298,827 gig workers are actively contributing under the LINDUNG Kendiri scheme.
Following debates involving 15 members of Parliament, the Dewan Rakyat approved an operating and development expenditure of RM1,828,370,200 for the ministry under Budget 2026 by a majority voice vote.