KUALA LUMPUR: The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) has urged national sports associations to make Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributions for their athletes.
Yakeb chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed said this is important to ensure that the athletes are eligible to receive support from Socso in the event that they become injured or disabled.
"We really hope that NSAs will make Employees Provident Fund and Socso contributions for their athletes, so if anything happens to them they will be eligible to receive support," said Noorul yesterday.
"We have already helped a lot of athletes obtain invalidity pensions from Socso, there are channels available (to secure support).
"However, an athlete must make Socso contributions for at least 24 months (among other requirements) to be eligible for the invalidity pension.
"Athletes can also receive other benefits from Socso, such as help with rehabilitation. They have excellent facilities at their rehabilitation centre in Malacca.
"We (Yakeb) always try our best to render support but we are also facing financial constraints. We now have about 3,200 members and if 10 per cent of those come to us, it is a big challenge."
Noorul visited former Asia Road Racing Championships rider Zamri Baba at the latter's family home in Klang yesterday (Dec 7).
Zamri suffered serious injury to his spine during a crash in 2015 and has suffered serious memory loss and is unable to walk.
He also has difficulty controlling his speech and needs to be continuosly monitored by his family.
"Socso has been very accommodating with Yakeb and we tried to help Zamri obtain the invalidity pension," said Noorul.
"Unfortunately, we have not been successful because he did not have any contributions made and does not have any record at Socso whatsoever.
"This is why we are stressing to NSAs to ensure that contributions are made for their athletes. Yakeb also views the move by the Youth and Sports Minister (Hannah Yeoh) last year positively as it will help secure athletes' futures."
The Youth and Sports Ministry last year converted allowances for national athletes into salaries - paid out via the National Sports Council (NSC) - which means they now have EPF and Socso contributions.
However, not all athletes are under the NSC programme.
Yakeb yesterday presented Zamri's family with a new wheelchair for him to use and announced that they would be providing him with a monthly subsistence of RM300 for a period of six months beginning this month.
The subsistence can be reviewed and renewed at the end of the period.