PETALING JAYA: The government should allow the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to give cash assistance to workers affected by the floods, urged A. Sivanathan.

       The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) council member said the recent floods could be considered an emergency and the government could form regulations under the Employee’s Socso Act based on existing provisions so that workers didn’t have to wait for cash handouts

       He pointed out the provisions in the Socso Act to enable the government to make new regulations.

       The preamble to the Act says the Minister in charge had the power to make regulations in any emergency, and Section 105(2)(vii) allowed the minister to decide on the criteria and eligibility of workers for cash benefits.

       According to the Employee’s Socso Act, employees were provided coverage under the Employment Injury Scheme and the Invalidity Pension Scheme.

       Sivanathan specifically referred to provisions in the Injury Insurance Scheme, under which workers were compensated if an accident or disease occurred at work or while travelling to work or because of the work environment.

       He said many employees had been working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the damage caused by the floods had led to mental stress from the loss of belongings and had aggravated prevailing health issues.

       "This can be identified as a workplace injury and the Minister is well within his right to regulate the provision under the Employment Injury Insurance Scheme, entitling workers across all sectors affected by the floods to have access to their Socso funds," he was quoted as saying in FMT.

       He added that the next-of-kin of those who died in the floods should be eligible for dependents’ benefits.

       Meanwhile, Sivanathan said Ministers had been scrambling to make laws on disaster management and financial rollouts since 2014.

       "But this is taking time because Parliament can never come to a consensus.

       "People need cash assistance now and the best way to help is by using already existing provisions in the Employee’s Socso Act.

       "The government needs to wake up and stop delaying what is owed to employees," he said