KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) will assist more than 242,000 employers with 2.5 million employees nationwide through the extended Wage Subsidy Programme (WSP) 4.0.
Socso chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz said the four-month WSP 4.0, one of the initiatives under the Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi (Pemulih), will be launched on August 1.
He said under WSP 4.0, eligible employers with 500 employees per enterprise will receive aid to retain their employees and help business continuity.
A sum of RM600 will be allocated per employee, with no salary limits for eligibility. This was in contrast to the previous WSPs, which had set a monthly salary ceiling of RM4,000 and below.
"This programme is open to all economic sectors in the first two months and will remain open to specific sectors under the negative list category in the next two subsequent months.
"The employers, in return, are required to record these subsidies information in their employees' payslip," he said in a statement today.
Eligible employers can submit their applications through the Prihatin online portal at https://prihatin.perkeso.gov.my/.
Azman also touched on the PenjanaKerjaya 3.0 initiative, which he said aims to generate 180,000 job placements until the end of this year.
"Malaysianisation is an updated category under this extended initiative as it lowers the minimum monthly wage rate from RM1,500 to RM1,200 for employees with positions normally filled by foreign workers.
"The duration of contract employment for all incentive categories has been reduced from 12 to six months for job seekers aged 50 and above, people with disabilities as well as ex-convicts.
"Hiring under the KerjayaGig incentive has also been expanded to include gig workers or part-time jobs, as well as the hardcore unemployed such as those who have been unemployed for more than 180 days.
"Job placement incentives under Private Employment Agencies (APS) has been improved with incentives made available for low-skilled workers earning less than RM3,000 a month.
"Any APS that succeeds in helping employees land a job will receive an incentive of RM100 per placement," he said.
Azman said the application for PenjanaKerjaya 3.0 will be open from July 15 till December 31.
Socso, he said, will assist employees through the SIP Prihatin financial assistance, which provides a Job Seekers Allowance (EMP) introduced under the 2021 Budget.
"EMP works in assisting contributing employees and those who had lost their jobs in getting new job opportunities.
"This immediate hiring assistance is also extended to non-Socso contributors including new graduates, school-leavers and non-formal sector workers.
"Eligible applicants will need to register themselves on the MYFutureJobs online portal starting July 15, 2021, so that their progress can be monitored and assisted by Socso," he said.
The applicants, Azman said, should attend a minimum of three interviews a month, either physically or virtually, to quality for the EMP cash incentive worth RM300 per month for 2 months.
"If they successfully secure a job through this portal, they will earn an additional incentive, as much as RM400," he said, adding that an estimated 229,000 job seekers will benefit from this assistance.
For further inquiries, the public can call the Socso careline at 1300228000 or visit their website at www.perkeso.gov.my
prihatin.perkeso.gov.my
PAKEJ RANSANGAN EKONOMI PRIHATIN RAKYAT
Pakej ransangan ekonomi prihatin rakyat yang diumumkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia kesan daripada Penularan Covid-19 Tahun 2020