Perkeso Seeks Input On Singapore Commuter Scheme

By Anas Abu Hassan

SINGAPORE, April 6 (Bernama) -- The Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) on Monday held its final stakeholder engagement session in Singapore ahead of the implementation of the commuter scheme, scheduled for the second quarter of this year.

The scheme aims to provide social protection for more than 400,000 Malaysians who commute daily to work in Singapore.

PERKESO Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the session involved key stakeholders such as 1 Third Media Movement; the Singapore Accident Help Centre (Johor); the Malaysian Association in Singapore (MASIS); and representatives of employers in Singapore.

“The purpose of this session is to obtain input from stakeholders, in line with a ‘bottom-up’ approach, to ensure that the social security protection framework is comprehensive and relevant to conditions on the ground,” he told Bernama.

Also present at the engagement session was Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar.

According to Dr Mohammed Azman, the engagement session is critical given the gaps in the current protection ecosystem due to cross-border travel.

Citing statistics from the Singapore Accident Help Centre (SAHC), he said 48 fatalities were recorded in 2024 and 54 in 2025 involving Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore.

“The existing framework does not fully take into account the realities of cross-border employment, thus exposing workers and their families to significant financial risks.

“In this regard, PERKESO is now taking concrete steps to propose a more practical and inclusive protection initiative for Malaysians working in Singapore,” he added.

On March 27, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said the ministry is in the process of presenting the proposal to introduce the commuter scheme to the Cabinet.

-- BERNAMA