Gerakan has proposed to the government to expand the benefits of Socso (Social Security Organisation) to cover the medical bill of poor workers with critical illnesses.

The party’s head of central bureau on public health and social development, Datuk Dr Ng Keong Chye, said the government could opt for Socso benefits to help the poor instead of they having to withdraw their life-long savings from Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for the purpose.

“We are disturbed that more people are being forced to withdraw money from their EPF to pay for their medical bills, resulting in them having insufficient funds for their financial needs after their retirement,” said Dr Ng, who is also Ketari State Assemblyman.

According to the statistics, 71 per cent of members of EPF who withdrew money from EPF were those with monthly income of less than RM2,500, while 17 per cent comprised those in the RM2,500 to RM4,999 income bracket, RM5,000 to RM9,999 (nine per cent) and the remaining three per cent made up of those with monthly income of more than RM10,000.

“It is time for the Government to re-look at the whole scheme and come up with a more comprehensive and sustainable model, otherwise we are going to have a pretty serious economic, social as well as political problems soon,” stressed Dr Ng, who is also Pahang Gerakan chairman.

Socso was set up to administer, enforce and implement the Employees’ Social Security Act, 1969 and the Employees’ Social Security (General) Regulations 1971.

It provides social security protection by social insurance including medical and cash benefits, provision of artificial aids and rehabilitation to employees to reduce the sufferings and to provide financial guarantees and protection to the family.

Dr Ng said Socso has a huge financial reserve as every employer and employee has to contribute to the scheme every month.

He said a review of Socso benefits was necessary, so as to keep abreast with modern times and changing needs of the people.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced at the Dewan Negara yesterday that a total of 93,914 contributors had withdrawn RM500.8mil from the EPF since the health withdrawal scheme was introduced on Nov 1, 1994.

“The EPF health withdrawal scheme is aimed at allowing members to withdraw money from the Account 2 to pay for the medical cost of critical illnesses suffered by themselves or their dependants who are approved by EPF,” he said in a written reply to Senator Zamri Yusof.