SOCSO'S 'WHITENING MONTH' INITIATIVE EXTENDED TILL JUNE 30 - SIM

SHAH ALAM, May 30 (Bernama) -- The registration and contribution period for employees with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) by employers under the ‘Whitening Month’ initiative initially set to end tomorrow, has been extended by one month until June 30.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the extension aimed to provide more employers with the opportunity to participate, following the positive response and significant increase in registrations and contributions during the initial phase of the initiative.

"From the launch of the Whitening Month on May 15 until May 29, Perkeso recorded a 31.8 per cent increase in new employer registrations, with 7,370 new employers compared to the same period in the previous month.

"For new employee registrations, including both local and foreign workers, there was a 34.1 per cent increase, encompassing 126,041 newly registered employees during the same period," he said at a press conference after officiating the ceremony to hand over assistance for the 2024 Union Affairs Programme (Central Zone) here today.

Sim urged employers to take this opportunity to fulfill their responsibilities towards their employees with the extended deadline, thereby avoiding potential penalties.

He said employers who failed to register and contribute to Socso could be fined up to RM5,000 per offence, incur late payment interest at six perc ent per annum for each day the contribution is late, and face up to two years' imprisonment or a RM10,000 fine, or both, if found guilty in court.

He added that to boost awareness and increase registrations and contributions,Socso had conducted visits to 11,035 premises so far this year, compared to 9,925 during the same period last year.

Previously, Socso group chief executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said that employers were given until May 31 to voluntarily register and contribute for their employees.

In addition, Sim noted that Socso had received 1,206 applications from various unions across the country for the Union Affairs’ Programme assistance. Out of these, 369 applications amounting to RM3.2 million have been approved.

Of the approved applications, he said 71 involving RM705,000 pertain to the Central Zone, covering Selangor and the Federal Territories.

-- BERNAMA