New Act to manage Socso scheme for taxi drivers to be in place next year

Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said the bill on it would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in March.

"It is quite a straight forward bill and should just take a month or two to be passed," he told a press conference after officiating the rebranding of Socso here yesterday.

Riot said that once the legislation was passed, self-employed taxi drivers and their families would receive the same social safety net protection just like other Socso contributors.

When tabling the 2017 Budget on Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced Socso protection for self-employed taxi drivers earning up to RM3,000 a month and a launching grant of RM60 million for the facility.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said under the scheme, the taxi drivers would have to make contributions at a rate of RM157 to RM443 a year, which is just RM13.08 at the lower end.

Meanwhile, Socso CEO Datuk Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said they had activated their "Socso Caring Squad" to assess the appropriate compensation that need to be made in the wake of Tuesday's fire tragedy at the Intensive Care Unit off the Sultanah Aminah Hosptal in Johor Bahru.

Six patients perished in the fire while three staff were hospitalised. The hospitalised staff are reported to be in stable condition.