KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Oct 2008: The Human Resources Ministry is mulling setting up a special fund to help retrenched workers.
Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam said the ministry was currently studying the amount to be contributed by employers and workers before rolling out the fund.
A study should be carried out to determine the amount of contribution to ensure the fund’s sustainability, including during economic downturn, he said.
“For that purpose, the ministry has carried out a series of discussions with employers and workers. We are also looking into the fund’s sustainability. Only then can we proceed with it,” he said in reply to Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PKR-Kuala Langat) at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the ministry, through the Social Security Organisation, had also asked for actuary experts from the International Labour Organisation to help the ministry in the study, which is expected to be completed in six months.
Meanwhile, on another matter, the Dewan Rakyat was told today that the government is not bound to absorb temporary workers, who have served for a long time in the schools, to permanent posts.
Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong said the temporary workers, however, had the opportunity to hold permanent posts if they fulfilled the requirements under the scheme of service applied for and succeeded in the interview held.
He said this when replying to Masir Anak Kujat (BN-Sri Aman) who wanted to know the government policy on absorbing temporary workers into permanent posts in government schools.
He said the Education Ministry had increased the posts to meet the needs of schools for workers in the support group.
“In this context, a total of 5,521 non-teaching posts had been approved this year while 7,738 posts would be approved next year,” he said. — Bernama
