KUALA LUMPUR: The Housewives' Social Security Bill, offering voluntary insurance protection to Malaysian housewives, was passed by a voice vote in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The scheme, managed by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), would be eligible to about three million housewives aged below 55.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Awang Hashim said the bill recognised the involvement of housewives who were a part of the "care economy", directly involved in the development of family institutions.
"Based on the Malaysian Labour Force Survey Report 2021 by the Statistics Department, there are 4.95 million, or 68.3 per cent, of the female population in Malaysia who are not in the labour force and do not have social protection coverage.
"Therefore, the bill ensures that housewives are also protected and no one is left behind," he said when tabling the bill for its second reading today.
The scheme, among others, would cover housewives from any illnesses or incidents while managing the household that would affect their duties as a housewife.
It will cover a host of medical benefits and compensation payments of between RM300 and RM50,000, depending on the severity of the injuries.
Under the scheme, husbands would have to pay RM120 in advance to Perkeso to provide protection for their wives for a period of 12 months.
Husbands who have voluntarily registered for the scheme but who fail to make contributions could be fined not more than RM10,000, or imprisoned for a term of not more than two years, or both.
"If a husband cannot continue making contributions, he must inform Perkeso within 60 days before the expiry of the current contribution," said Awang.
Housewives could also choose to contribute on their own if their husbands do not sign up for the scheme.
Awang said the scheme, for a start, would only cover housewives and not stay-at-home husbands.
"This is a new law and there will be room in the future for revision to include protection for husbands looking after the household."
Awang also clarified that the term "housewife" in the bill covered any woman, married or unmarried, managing a household whether full time or part time.
This would include wives, divorcees and widows whose marriages were registered as well as mothers with children and single mothers.
"In order not to burden housewives, especially vulnerable housewives who are in extreme poverty, a total of 150,000 women registered under i-Suri will have their contribution paid by the government in line with the 2022 Budget."