KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — The Ministry of Human Resources (KSM) has taken appropriate action to ensure that cyber-attacks targeting the infrastructure of the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) do not recur.

Its minister, V. Sivakumar said follow-up action would also be taken as soon as the mastermind responsible for hacking Perkeso’s system, information base and website since the beginning of this month is identified.

So far, he said the problem is under control and Perkeso’s daily operations are running smoothly as usual, including the process of paying compensation and benefits to eligible recipients as well as the processing of new contributor applications.

"All the appropriate action that needs to be taken have been executed by Perkeso from the beginning. There is nothing (no problem) in the operation of Socso (Perkeso) for now,” he said after a Perkeso media event here today.

Perkeso Group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed previously said that forensic investigations are underway on the alleged involvement of certain parties behind the cyber-attack against Perkeso.

Meanwhile, Sivakumar said his ministry, together with the Ministry of Economy and several other ministries, is studying in detail the implementation of the Progressive Wage Policy which is expected to be introduced in the first half of 2024.

"Next year, we will bring a new approach related to progressive wages where the White Paper on Progressive Wages has been presented in Parliament and its implementation is being scrutinised.

"Apart from that, the ministry is working to combat the issue of forced labour. We are aware that many workers are neglected as reported by the media, so next year the Department of Labour will be more strict and active in conducting many operations throughout the country to curb this issue,” he said.

Sivakumar said that next year, KSM will also formulate a specific policy for the welfare of the growing number of gig economy workers to prevent them from being oppressed and taken advantage of by any employer. — Bernama