Kuala LUMPUR: A new social security scheme that protects workers beyond office hours is set to transform Malaysia’s employment landscape, offering 24-hour coverage under the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim addressed this critical issue head-on on Oct 30, tabling the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025 for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.
This landmark move paves the way for the Non-Occupational Disaster Accident Scheme (or Lindung 24/7), the latest initiative under Perkeso’s Lindung Pekerja programme and is expected to benefit 10 million workers nationwide.
At present, Perkeso’s Employment Injury Scheme only covers incidents arising out of and in the course of employment – typically limited to working hours and commutes between home and the workplace.
This leaves a 16-hour gap each day when workers are unprotected, exposing them and their families to financial risks if an accident occurs during personal time.
Between 2018 and Aug 31 this year, Perkeso rejected nearly 30,000 claims classified as non-occupational, with 87% of cases occurring outside working hours or unrelated to work travel.
Among them was a factory worker who met with an accident while picking up his wife after work, and a system engineer who fractured his ankle while getting into his car at a petrol station after taking his child to the hospital.
In another case, a 41-year-old business account manager was involved in a road accident on a Saturday.
The accident occurred during his day off, and he remained unconscious until his death eight days later. As the incident happened outside working hours, the case was not recognised under the current scheme.
Similarly, a 27-year-old machine operator employed by a manufacturing firm fractured his finger after slipping in the bathroom at home. His claim was also rejected because the injury occurred outside the scope of employment.
Such cases underline the reality that accidents can happen anytime, anywhere – and that social security protection should not stop when the workday ends.
Reflecting modern work realities
The new scheme recognises the changing nature of work, where flexible, remote and hybrid arrangements blur the line between professional and personal time.
With many workers, particularly in the B40 group, unable to afford private insurance, Lindung 24/7 offers a collective, structured and affordable social security alternative. Key benefits under the new protection include:
> Medical Benefits – Free treatment at Perkeso panel clinics or government hospitals.
> Disablement Benefits – Income replacement in case of temporary or permanent injury.
> Dependants’ Benefits – Financial support for family members in the event of death.
> Funeral Benefits – Assistance with funeral expenses.
> Constant Attendance Allowance – For workers who require full-time care.
> Rehabilitation and Education Assistance – Support for recovery and dependants’ education.
Lindung 24/7 is not just an extension of existing coverage – it is a new initiative for workers and a major step forward in the defence of social security.
It complements the current protection system by closing a significant coverage gap, while introducing a more inclusive, affordable, and structured insurance scheme that benefits all formal workers equally.
This initiative also marks a big step towards building a safer, more inclusive, and resilient Malaysia, where every worker can enjoy peace of mind knowing that protection follows them around the clock.
Work styles may be flexible, but the right to be protected should never change. The Bill’s second and third readings are scheduled for the December Parliamentary sitting, with implementation details to be announced by Perkeso.
If passed, Lindung 24/7 will redefine Malaysia’s approach to social security – ensuring that protection no longer ends when workers clock out, but continues every hour of the day, every day of the week.
