KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) is conducting studies to introduce a 24-hour social security protection scheme and Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) for the elderly.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said that efforts to support the economic agenda of Malaysia Madani, however, need to consider various constraints, including the cost of each individual’s contribution.

"Indeed, Kesuma’s vision is to provide 24-hour and comprehensive social security protection to the working group in particular, and Malaysians in general.

"I will provide feedback and updates from time to time for the schemes,” he said when winding up the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address, for his ministry, in the Dewan Rakyat, today.

Apart from that, he said that this year the government also needs to review the minimum wage order, as stipulated in the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011, which provides for the matter to be reviewed at least once every two years.

"We will take into account the views of all parties, including employers and employees, as well as referring to socioeconomic reports, such as Bank Negara reports,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sim denied that the number of foreign workers in professional and skilled fields now exceeds the number of local graduates.

He said that, based on last year’s data, the number of local skilled workers was 2.236 million people, far greater than the number of foreign trade officers or expatriates who had active passports, which were 109,707 individuals.

"This number (foreign trade officers) is only 4.9 per cent of the total skilled jobs which exist in this country,” he said.

He added that the recruitment of expatriates should be viewed as one of the strategies to transfer knowledge and technology, to empower the local workforce.

"Based on the knowledge and technology transfer strategy, Kesuma is planning a policy to create apprenticeship opportunities for local talents in companies that hire expatriate workers,” he said. — Bernama