Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia is planning to introduce a non-occupational injury scheme in the near future to protect workers at all times even during non-working hours.
The scheme is aimed at extending protection to groups such as informal workers, housewives and gig workers who are often outside the traditional social protection system.
In his speech at the World Social Security Forum 2025, Anwar stated that in the era of flexible and remote work, injuries and incidents do not know office hours, hence social protection must be adapted.
The government will amend the Employees Social Security Act 1969 to include 24-hour protection under SOCSO so that workers are no longer exposed to risk outside working hours.
Anwar also explained that digital systems will be used to deliver protection more efficiently, ensuring that no remote communities are left exposed to risk.
He added that social protection is not just a bureaucratic system, but a moral infrastructure that ensures that people live with dignity and are not marginalized.
