by NUR HANANI AZMAN / pic by TMR FILE

THE Human Resources Ministry (MoHR) through the Social Security Organisation (Socso) is expected to implement the Housewife Social Security Scheme (SKSSR) next year following the Cabinet meeting held on July 14 which had agreed for housewives to be given social security protection.

Currently, the draft of Housewives Social Security Bill is refined jointly by  MoHR and the Attorney General’s Chambers before obtaining Cabinet approval for tabling in Parliament in the near future, said its minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan (picture).

“SKSSR is open to all housewives which is estimated to provide 2.99 million people protection against domestic disasters such as accidents, illness or death.

“About 150,000 housewives from poor households and below the Poverty Line Income will be covered by the government, while for other housewives, participation is on a voluntary basis,” he said in a statement today.

He believed the SKSSR should be a social security agenda as productivity replacement to the housewives if they are involved in a domestic disaster or suffer from disabilities for which their contributions have economic value in the development of family institutions, or the Care Economy.

“Social security protection is necessary to safeguard welfare and the well-being of housewives given that their functions and duties are very important in family institutions and national development.

“Not to mention, the Covid-19 pandemic has made their roles and responsibilities increasingly challenging with new normative practices such as working from home and the implementation of teaching and learning at home,” he added.