KUALA LUMPUR – There is nothing wrong if the Social Security Organisation (Socso) asks staff to promote its activities and products, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
He called on all Socso employees to be honorary ambassadors for the organisation’s products and services.
“What is wrong with an agency promoting its products through its staff? It’s not a crime, and it gives a sense of belonging to the agency’s staff.
“Why would MTUC (Malaysian Trades Union Congress) view it as an offence, when the effort will only help Malaysians know more about the assistance and programmes promoted by Socso?” he said at the Human Resources Development Fund’s (HRDF) prize presentation for its “Pay and Win Promotion” here yesterday.
Saravanan was asked to comment on MTUC’s rebuke of Socso over the latter’s action to allocate marks in staff’s performance appraisal based on the number of posts they share from CEO Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed’s Facebook page.
The minister added that HRDF is prepared to provide exemptions and stipulate new procedures for borrowers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Borrowers are urged to discuss with the fund about restructuring their loans, he said.
“HRDF can arrange a new payment process and procedure for borrowers. We are prepared to review the loans.
“Although HRDF has appointed collection agencies, I don’t want these agencies to take drastic action through coercion.”
Through a six-month promotion that began last October, the fund has recorded RM46.83 million in loan repayments from 4,857 borrowers. – Bernama, April 27, 2021