Malaysia hosts 25 countries to discuss social protection for gig workers in South Asia

Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA: A delegation from ILO India attended the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Technical Seminar 2024 on Social Security for the Self-Employed and Platform Workers, which addressed recent advancements in enhancing social security coverage for both platform workers and the self-employed in Asia and the Pacific.

The seminar was jointly hosted by PERKESO, Malaysia’s SOCSO (Social Security Organization) Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial in Kuala Lumpur on 27-28 August,2024. The seminar encompassed social security programme extensions, regulatory frameworks, employment classifications and adaptations of social security systems. Panel discussions by subject matter experts also included institutional innovations to facilitate registrations, payment, data sharing and awareness initiatives.

The two-day technical seminar hosted 1,667 participants from 25 countries. The event was graced by senior officials and dignitaries from the Government of Malaysia, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Minister for Human Resources, Steven Sim Chee Keong and the Group CEO of PERKESO with joint responsibility as the President of ISSA Datuk Seri Dr. Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed. In his opening remarks, Datuk Seri Aziz Mohammed stressed the importance of social security. “Many workers were left without access to basic protections such as unemployment insurance and sickness benefits. This discrepancy is not just a gap in our policy, rather a gap in our collective humanity. It is a gap in justice," he said.

Mr Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano, Secretary General, ISSA, said the matter grows urgent as gig economies rise, with more workers engaging in non-traditional forms of employment. "There are many issues, but what I see as some of the most important are the coverage of social security," he added.

Amongst the several high-level panel discussions, Ms Michiko Miyamoto, Director, ILO DWT/CO-New Delhi was invited to host a panel on "Ensuring effective access to coverage for platform workers – country experiences and institutional good practices". Participants in this panel included Ms Wang Xiaochen, Audit and Risk Control Division Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS), Republic of China, Mr Ahmad Nazli Bin Othman Mohd, Chief Financial Officer, PERKESO, Malaysia and Ms Chee Sok Lin Group Director, Employer, Collections & Enforcement Group Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), Singapore.

Ms Mariko Ouchi, Senior Specialist, Social Protection, ILO DWT/CO-New Delhi, presented India’s good practices regarding extension to platform workers. The technical seminar ended with an important summarization stressing the need to achieve decent work and highlight the importance of extending social protection to platform workers as a basic human right.