Ministry mulling scheme to better ensure welfare of p-hailing, e-hailing workers - Saravanan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry is planning to introduce a social security scheme to better protect the welfare of workers in the p-hailing and e-hailing sector.

Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said this could be implemented quickly using his power as minister and with the approval of the Cabinet.

The ministry would meet with representatives of these two groups of workers to get their input before tabling the matter in the Cabinet, he said.

"The Human Resources Ministry is studying this (social security network) ... if we want to wait for an Act and the like, it will take a long time (to be implemented). I have already discussed it with the ministry's acting secretary-general.

"In a week or two, we will make an announcement on how to use the power of the Human Resources Minister to provide a social security network for this group," he said today.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the Islamic Skills Training Loan (PLK-i) and Myperkasa Portal on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre here.

Saravanan said this when asked to comment on the issue of e-hailing and p-hailing workers staging a strike recently to protest the deduction of delivery charges by companies providing the service.

On PLK-i, Saravanan said the syariah-compliant loans, which are open to all races, would empower the country's TVET agenda to produce more skilled workers in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0).

"This is a product from the Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran (PTPK) to ease the burden of applicants because they don't have to pay interest for the first 12 months," he added.

He said in line with changes under the IR 4.0, PTPK had been asked to identify programmes which have a brighter chance of overcoming the problem of mismatch between jobs and qualifications of job seekers.

The first phase of PLK-i will run until Aug 15 this year.

-- BERNAMA