KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — The SPS Contribution Matching initiative for social security protection, implemented by the Social Security Organisation (Socso), will benefit more than 60,000 Foodpanda delivery riders.

Socso chief executive officer Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed and Foodpanda Malaysia managing director Sayantan Das today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on this matter, witnessed by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan.

The minister said that under the SPS Contribution Matching initiative, the government would give a contribution payment of 80 per cent or RM186.20 from the Plan 2 contribution worth RM232.80 through the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme.

"Self-employed persons only have to pay 20 per cent or RM46.60 for the same period of one year. However, I understand Foodpanda has taken a proactive step to register and contribute to their shipping partners with Socso’s Self-Employment Social Security Scheme under the Contribution Matching Self-Employment Scheme programme.

"This step will enable food delivery partners to receive additional incentives for contribution payments by only having to pay 10 per cent, which is RM23.30 of the total amount of RM232.80,” he told reporters at the Socso and Foodpanda Malaysia MoU ceremony here.

Saravanan said it is hoped that the proactive step implemented by Foodpanda Malaysia will serve as an example for other sectors to emulate.

Earlier, Saravanan in his speech said that based on the statistics of Socso’s Self-Employment Scheme Division until February 18, a total of 360,469 active contributors among self-employed persons were registered and contributed under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme compared to only 73,556 self-employed persons in 2020.

While that is a jump of almost 500 per cent, Socso statistics also recorded an increase in work-related accidents, he said.

"In 2021, there were 1,498 recipients of the Temporary Disablement Benefit or financial assistance paid to self-employed persons who received sick leave, compared to 288 recipients in 2020.

"Case claims for Dependant Benefits or benefits given to beneficiaries when employees die due to occupational accidents in 2021 also increased to 147 beneficiaries from 40 beneficiaries in 2020,” he added.

Saying this was attributed to an increase in fatal road accidents, he called on self-employed persons to immediately contribute to the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme. — Bernama