Nearly 600 high-profile individuals, including MPs and state assemblymen, have failed to pay Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) contributions for their domestic workers, Human Resources Minister R Ramanan said today.
He said they were among 10,033 employers of domestic workers found to have not met their obligations in checks carried out up to Nov 1. Asked whether ministers were on the list, he said it included people holding positions even higher than that.
“A person’s position, rank, influence or status is no excuse for neglecting their responsibilities as an employer. The law applies to everyone without exception,” he said. Ramanan said those involved had until Dec 7 to pay, after which their names would be made public and legal action would follow, starting with compounds. Offenders can face a fine of RM10,000, imprisonment or both.
He said Perkeso had also flagged 26,669 employers with outstanding contribution records that needed further checks. He stressed that domestic workers include not only maids but also gardeners, drivers, caregivers for the elderly and babysitters.
Ramanan was speaking after presenting Perkeso benefits to the families of Malaysians caught in the Aug 26 floods and landslides in Nepal. Of the 54 Malaysian victims, 28 met Perkeso’s contribution requirements, entitling their next of kin to a total of RM174,000, made up of immediate aid of RM3,000 for each victim and a survivors’ pension under the Invalidity Scheme.
The 54 Malaysians are among more than 6,000 people still missing after a glacier collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border set off landslides and a flash flood. Ramanan said his ministry was also looking at the needs of families of victims with no Perkeso records, and Perkeso would link them with its 990 strategic partners, including 130 agencies, to find other suitable help.