KUALA LUMPUR – The government’s Social Welfare Module has mapped out nearly half the country’s population under its profile records requiring social protection, said Datuk Abd Latiff Ahmad (Mersing-Bersatu) in a parliamentary reply on November 16.
The deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (special functions) reply to Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Pandan-PH) added that since August 27, there have been 13 million profile records of targeted groups requiring social protection under the module involving 17 implementation agencies.
Currently, Putrajaya’s social protection policy involves 509 programmes that have been mapped out by 30 agencies and ministries.
Meanwhile, data concerning social insurance module profiles and labour market intervention is currently being mapped out, with completion expected in the second quarter of 2023.
“The element of social protection has also been taken into account by the government in presenting the nation’s financial budget annually,” said Latiff.
He said the government is ensuring comprehensive social protection for all Malaysians based on three core concepts – social welfare, social insurance and labour market intervention.
He further explained that the Malaysia Social Protection Council (MySPC) – founded on October 28, 2016 and reactivated by the cabinet on May 29, 2019 – will coordinate a comprehensive and integrated social welfare agenda.
The social protection master plan will be implemented by MySPC with four working committees which are:
- Social Assistance Working Committee headed by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry
- Social Insurance Working Committee headed by the Finance Ministry
- Labour Market Intervention Working Committee headed by the Human Resources Ministry
- Data Management Working Committee headed by the Statistics Department
While the policy is being drafted, MySPC is functioning through five main social protection action plans underlined by:
- Policy rationalisation and social protection programme
- Strengthening service delivery and management of social protection programmes’ resources
- Efficient data management with integrity
- Determining the coverage for social protection target groups
- Strengthening the social protection target groups
“In total, this action plan contains 15 implementation strategies and 90 initiatives across the four working committees.
“There are 56 short-term initiatives (for less than two years) and 34 long-term initiatives involving more than two years.
“The time period for these action plans is within five years starting 2021 until 2025,” Latiff said. – The Vibes, November 18, 2021
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