PERKESO (SOCSO) in Malaysia

PERKESO stands for Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial. In English it is the Social Security Organisation, shortened to SOCSO. The two names point to the same body, so PERKESO on your payslip and SOCSO in an English form mean the same organisation. It sits as a statutory body under the Ministry of Human Resources and runs Malaysia's national social security schemes for workers.

The job is straightforward: collect monthly contributions from employers, employees, and the self-employed, then pay out cash benefits and medical care when a covered person is injured, falls into invalidity, dies, or loses their job.

The laws it runs under

PERKESO administers and enforces several Acts of Parliament. The main ones are:

• Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4), the founding law, covering the Employment Injury Scheme and the Invalidity Scheme for employees.
• Employment Insurance System Act 2017 (Act 800), which set up the Employment Insurance System for workers who lose their jobs. This came into force on 1 January 2018.
• Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (Act 789), which covers self-employed people.

PERKESO also administers the Housewives' Social Security Act 2022 (Act 838).

The main schemes

EIS is the English label; SIP is the Malay term, Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan. You will see both used interchangeably.

Employers register and pay contributions through the online ASSIST Portal. EIS claimants are matched to jobs through the MYFutureJobs placement service. Self-employed people register and contribute under the Lindung Kendiri scheme, which began with the passenger transport sector and was later widened to cover 20 sectors in total.

At a glance

• Full name: Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO), the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO).
• Sits under: Ministry of Human Resources.
• Governing laws: Employees' Social Security Act 1969, Employment Insurance System Act 2017, Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (plus the Housewives' Social Security Act 2022).
• Core schemes: Employment Injury, Invalidity, Employment Insurance System (EIS / SIP), and self-employed cover.
• Key channels: ASSIST Portal (employers and payments), MYFutureJobs (job placement for EIS), Lindung Kendiri (self-employed).
• A note on rates: contribution rates and benefit ceilings are set out in official schedules and can change. Treat any figure you read here as a guide and confirm the current rate on the PERKESO website before you calculate or pay.

Coverage under PERKESO runs through three separate laws, and each one draws its own line between who is in and who is out.

Employers and employees under Act 4

The Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4) applies to every employer with one or more employees. If you hire staff, you register. There is no minimum headcount and no minimum wage threshold for coverage: all employees hired under a contract of service are covered regardless of how much they earn. High earners are still covered, with contributions calculated only up to the wage ceiling (raised to RM6,000 a month from 1 October 2024).

The duty to register is time-bound. An employer must register the business and its employees with PERKESO within 30 days of hiring the first employee. Registration is done through the ASSIST Portal (Automated SOCSO Integrated System). Missing the window carries fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment, so treat the 30-day clock as firm and check the current penalty schedule on the PERKESO site.

Act 4 runs two schemes: the Employment Injury Scheme (work accidents and occupational disease, including commuting) and the Invalidity Scheme (non-work invalidity and death, for eligible members).

Foreign workers

Since 1 January 2019, foreign workers with valid permits are covered under the Employment Injury Scheme of Act 4. Employers must register foreign employees through ASSIST (or the Foreign Worker Registration Form at a PERKESO office) and contribute at the Employment Injury rate. From 1 July 2024, foreign workers with valid permits are covered under both the Employment Injury Scheme and the Invalidity Scheme, moved over from the previous injury-only arrangement.

Employment Insurance System (SIP)

The Employment Insurance System (Act 800), known in Malay as Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP), is a separate scheme for job-loss support. It covers private-sector employees aged 18 to 60. Government servants, domestic servants and the self-employed are outside SIP. Employees who first reach age 57 with no prior contribution are exempt.

Gig and self-employed workers

Self-employed people are outside the employer-employee schemes above. Their route is the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (Act 789), now carried under the Lindung Kendiri brand. This covers e-hailing and p-hailing riders, delivery riders, taxi drivers, hawkers, farmers and other own-account workers. Historically it has been voluntary, and the Gig Workers Bill (tabled 2025) has moved to make platform-worker contributions compulsory with automatic deductions by platform companies. Confirm the current legal status and any subsidised rates before you rely on a figure.

Who is in, who is out

Rates and thresholds change. Check the current contribution schedule on the PERKESO website before acting on any number here.

The Employees' Social Security Act 1969 sets up two core schemes for employees. Both run through PERKESO (SOCSO), and most private-sector employees under 60 are covered by both at the same time through a single contribution. What separates them is the cause of the harm: one deals with harm connected to your work, the other deals with harm from any cause.

The Employment Injury Scheme

This scheme covers you when something goes wrong because of your job. It applies to three broad situations:

• Accidents at the workplace during working hours, and accidents while you are on work business.
• Commuting accidents, meaning accidents on the normal route between your home and your place of work, subject to conditions.
• Occupational disease, meaning an illness caused by the nature of your work, such as occupational hearing loss or occupational asthma.

The benefits under this scheme include:

• Medical benefit: treatment at a PERKESO panel clinic or government facility until you recover.
• Temporary Disablement Benefit: a daily payment while you are on medical leave from the injury.
• Permanent Disablement Benefit: a payment (lump sum or monthly) if the injury leaves you with lasting disability.
• Dependants' Benefit: a monthly payment to your family if you die from the employment injury.
• Constant-Attendance Allowance, physical and vocational rehabilitation, a funeral benefit, and education loans for dependent children.

The Invalidity Scheme

This scheme covers invalidity or death from any cause that is not connected to your work. It gives 24-hour protection, so it applies whether the event happens at work, at home, or anywhere else, as long as the cause is not an employment injury. PERKESO defines invalidity as a serious permanent condition that leaves you unable to earn at least one-third of what a healthy worker earns.

The main benefits are:

• Invalidity Pension: a monthly pension if you become an invalid before age 60 and meet the qualifying contribution period.
• Invalidity Grant: a one-off lump sum if you become an invalid but do not meet the full qualifying period for a pension.
• Survivors' Pension: a monthly pension for your eligible dependants if you die from any non-work cause before reaching age 60 and the qualifying conditions are met.
• Constant-Attendance Allowance, rehabilitation, a funeral benefit, and education loans for dependants.

To qualify for the pension, you generally need enough months of contributions within a set window before the invalidity or death. PERKESO uses a full qualifying period and a reduced qualifying period, so the exact benefit depends on how many months you have paid.

The difference in one line

The rates, minimum pensions, and daily benefit ceilings quoted by PERKESO change from time to time. Treat any figure you read as a guide and confirm the current amount on the PERKESO website or at a PERKESO office before you rely on it.

The Employment Insurance System (EIS), known in Malay as Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) and branded by PERKESO as Lindung Kerjaya, sits under the Employment Insurance System Act 2017. It started on 1 January 2018. The idea is straightforward: if you lose your job, EIS gives you temporary monthly income and help finding new work, funded by small contributions collected while you are employed.

Who contributes

Contributions come from both sides. The employer pays a share and the employee pays a matching share, each calculated on the employee's monthly wage. The commonly cited rate is 0.2% from the employer and 0.2% from the employee (0.4% in total), deducted and remitted together with SOCSO contributions. A wage ceiling applies, so contributions are capped once salary passes the ceiling. The exact percentages and the current wage ceiling can change, so check the latest EIS contribution schedule on the PERKESO website before you rely on a figure.

Who is covered: private sector employees who are Malaysian citizens or permanent residents, generally aged 18 to 60.

Who is not covered by EIS: the self-employed, domestic servants, civil servants, and workers in local authorities and statutory bodies. (Self-employed people have a separate PERKESO scheme, Lindung Kendiri, covered elsewhere in this guide. EIS does not cover self-employed persons.)

Benefits after losing a job

EIS pays several allowances. The main one is the Job Search Allowance (JSA), monthly income replacement while you look for work.

How the JSA is paid. The allowance is based on your assumed monthly wage and steps down over time. The published schedule is around 80% for the first month, 50% for the second, 40% for the third and fourth, and 30% for the fifth and sixth. The percentages, the assumed-wage bands, and any caps can be revised, so confirm the current rates with PERKESO before quoting them.

Eligibility conditions

To claim JSA you generally need to satisfy all of these:

• A qualifying loss of employment. This includes normal retrenchment, VSS or MSS, business closure or bankruptcy, workplace closure from a natural disaster, constructive dismissal, resignation due to sexual harassment or threats at work, and resignation after being told to do dangerous work outside your job scope. Dismissal for misconduct, voluntary resignation without a qualifying reason, and normal retirement do not qualify.
• Apply within 60 days of the date you lost your job.
• Meet the Contributions Qualifying Conditions (CQC). You must have paid a minimum number of monthly contributions within a defined period. The number of qualifying months affects how long you receive JSA, from 3 up to 6 months. The exact CQC thresholds are set by PERKESO, so check the current rules.

How EIS supports re-employment

EIS pays you while you look for work and helps you find the next job. Claimants register and job-match through MYFutureJobs, PERKESO's national job portal, and work with Employment Services Officers who help with placement. Continued JSA payments depend on showing that you are actively looking for work. EIS also funds reskilling through the Training Allowance and Training Fee, and the Early Re-Employment Allowance rewards you for taking a job before your benefit period runs out.

You apply for EIS benefits online through the PERKESO EIS portal at eis.perkeso.gov.my. Keep your termination letter and identity documents ready, and apply early within the 60-day window.

PERKESO contributions are worked out from the employee's monthly wages. There are two moving parts that sit on top of each other: the SOCSO scheme under the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4), and the Employment Insurance System (EIS), known in Malay as Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP), under Act 800. Most private-sector employees pay into both at the same time.

The two SOCSO categories

Which category applies depends on the employee's age.

• First Category (below 60 years old): covers both the Employment Injury Scheme and the Invalidity Scheme. The employer pays about 1.75% of wages and the employee pays about 0.5%, so both sides contribute.
• Second Category (aged 60 and above, and certain other cases): covers the Employment Injury Scheme only. The employer pays about 1.25% of wages. The employee pays nothing.

These percentages are indicative. PERKESO does not want you to multiply the salary yourself. You read the exact ringgit figure off the official contribution schedule, which is banded into wage ranges, so you read the exact ringgit figure off the band your wage falls into.

EIS / SIP

EIS is a separate scheme that helps workers who lose their jobs. It is split evenly: the employer pays about 0.2% of wages and the employee pays about 0.2%, giving roughly 0.4% in total. EIS generally covers employees aged 18 to 60. Some workers are exempt, for example a person first employed after reaching a certain age with no prior EIS record, so check the current rules for edge cases.

The wage ceiling

Both SOCSO and EIS contributions are capped by a monthly wage ceiling. Effective 1 October 2024, PERKESO raised this ceiling to RM6,000 per month (previously RM5,000). If an employee earns more than the ceiling, contributions are worked out as if the wage were RM6,000. Anything above that is ignored for contribution purposes.

How the schemes stack

For a typical employee below 60, three amounts come out each month:

1. SOCSO First Category (employer 1.75% + employee 0.5%)
2. EIS (employer 0.2% + employee 0.2%)

The employer remits the whole lot to PERKESO through the ASSIST Portal. The employee's share is deducted from salary.

Worked example

Take an employee aged 35 earning RM4,000 a month. Using the indicative rates:

Now take an employee earning RM8,000 a month. Because pay is above the RM6,000 ceiling, every figure is worked out on RM6,000, not RM8,000:

Treat these ringgit figures as a guide. The binding numbers are in PERKESO's published contribution schedule, and the bands can change. Before you run payroll or check a deduction, confirm the current rates on the official schedule at perkeso.gov.my.

The Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (Skim Keselamatan Sosial Pekerjaan Sendiri, SKSPS), branded Lindung Kendiri, covers people who work for themselves. It runs under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 and pays out for work-related injury, occupational disease, permanent disablement, and death. Any Malaysian citizen or permanent resident who earns a living on their own account can join, with no age limit.

Who it covers

PERKESO lists 20 self-employed sectors under the scheme, from passenger transport and goods delivery to farming, fishing, construction, hawking, online business, and professional services. Two groups matter most for gig work:

• E-hailing and taxi drivers (passenger transport). Registration and contribution have been compulsory for this sector since the Act took effect.
• P-hailing riders delivering goods or food (parcel and food delivery). This sector was brought under a mandatory contribution requirement from 1 October 2021.

Contribution tiers

You pick an insured monthly income band, and your contribution follows it. PERKESO has published four plans. Treat these figures as a guide and confirm the current schedule on the PERKESO site before you pay, because bands and rates are revised from time to time.

A higher band means higher benefit payouts if you claim, since disablement and dependants' benefits are calculated as 90% of your insured income. Pick a band that reflects what you actually earn.

Benefits you get

• Medical benefit: treatment for work injuries at PERKESO panel clinics or government hospitals.
• Temporary disablement: a daily allowance for medical leave of four days or more.
• Permanent disablement: a payment set against 90% of your insured income and your degree of disability.
• Dependants' benefit: paid to your family if a work injury causes death.
• Funeral benefit, constant-attendance allowance, and rehabilitation where eligible.

How to sign up

1. Register through PERKESO's self-employment portal or the PERKESO app. Some platforms (for example Grab and Foodpanda) also channel registration for their drivers and riders.
2. Provide your MyKad details and choose your insured income band.
3. Pay the contribution for a 12-month coverage period. Cover starts once payment clears, so keep the receipt.
4. Renew each year before your coverage lapses.

The Gig Workers Act 2025 changes this

The Gig Workers Act 2025 came into force on 31 March 2026. It makes social security contributions for platform gig workers mandatory and requires platform providers (e-hailing and delivery apps) to link their systems to PERKESO so contributions are deducted automatically, moving away from the voluntary sign-up model. Platform operators were given a transition window to integrate. If you drive or ride for a platform, check whether your app now handles your PERKESO contribution, and confirm your coverage status directly with PERKESO so you are not left with a gap.

PERKESO pays benefits under two scheme families. The Employment Injury Scheme covers accidents at work, accidents on the way to and from work, and occupational diseases. The Invalidity Scheme covers invalidity and death from any cause once the contribution conditions are met. The self-employed and gig schemes give a similar employment-injury range. Below is the practical map of what PERKESO can pay.

Employment Injury Scheme benefits

Medical benefit. An injured worker gets free treatment at a PERKESO panel clinic or a government clinic or hospital until recovery. Serious cases are treated in government hospitals with specialist care. Where treatment was taken at a non-panel clinic, the cost can be claimed back subject to PERKESO's conditions.

Temporary Disablement Benefit. Paid while a doctor certifies you unfit for work, for a period of at least four days including the day of the accident. The daily rate is set at 80% of your average assumed daily wage, within a floor and a ceiling. It is not paid for days you work and earn wages.

Permanent Disablement Benefit. Paid when the Medical Board certifies a lasting loss of function from the injury. The daily rate is set at 90% of the average assumed daily wage, within a floor and a ceiling. Low percentage assessments are paid as a lump sum. Higher assessments are paid monthly for life, with part able to be commuted to a lump sum.

Constant-Attendance Allowance. An extra fixed monthly allowance for a worker on total permanent disablement who is so severely incapacitated that another person must attend to them constantly, as certified by the Medical Board.

Dependants' Benefit. Paid to the family if the worker dies from the employment injury. The rate follows the permanent disablement basis (90% of the average assumed daily wage, within limits) and is shared by priority: the widow or widower and children first, then other eligible dependants such as parents.

Funeral Benefit. A one-off payment towards funeral costs when the worker dies from an employment injury or while receiving Permanent Disablement Benefit. It is the actual amount spent or the fixed cap, whichever is lower.

Education Benefit. A loan facility to help fund the education of a dependent child of a worker who died from an employment injury or who receives Permanent Disablement Benefit.

Rehabilitation. PERKESO bears the cost of physical rehabilitation (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, reconstructive surgery, prosthetics, orthotics and mobility aids) and vocational rehabilitation (skills training in areas such as wiring, sewing, repair work and secretarial skills) to help an injured worker recover and return to work.

Invalidity Scheme benefits

The Invalidity Scheme runs a parallel set: an Invalidity Pension for a worker certified invalid by the Medical Board who meets the contribution conditions, an Invalidity Grant (a lump sum of contributions plus interest) for those who fall short of the pension conditions, a Survivors' Pension for dependants on death, plus the same Constant-Attendance Allowance, Funeral Benefit, Education Benefit and rehabilitation (including haemodialysis support). Invalidity and survivors' pensions are set as a percentage band of the average assumed monthly wage, with a monthly minimum.

Who qualifies, at a glance

On the numbers. PERKESO expresses most cash benefits as a percentage of your average assumed wage, then applies a daily or monthly floor and ceiling, and fixes the allowances and funeral cap as flat amounts. These figures are revised from time to time (the funeral cap and the wage ceilings have both moved in recent years), so always confirm the exact rate against the current PERKESO benefits schedule or the ASSIST Portal before you rely on a figure.

A PERKESO claim starts with getting the accident or condition on record, then filing the right benefit form with supporting documents. The process differs depending on whether you are claiming for a work injury, for invalidity, or for loss of employment under EIS. The steps below cover the common route for an employment injury claim, then explain how the other claims work.

Claiming for an employment injury

1. Get medical treatment first. Go to a PERKESO panel clinic or a government hospital. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital, then follow up at a panel clinic. Keep every medical certificate, report and receipt.
2. Tell your employer straight away. Report a workplace accident or a commuting accident to your employer as soon as you can. The employer is the one who lodges the accident notice with PERKESO.
3. Employer reports the accident. The employer notifies PERKESO of the accident, generally within 48 hours, using the accident report (Form 21). Reporting is done through the ASSIST Portal, the same portal used for registration and contributions.
4. File the benefit claim (Form 34). The Notice and Benefit Claim Form, Borang 34, is the main form for claiming injury benefits. It covers temporary disablement, permanent disablement, medical benefit and related benefits. The forms are in Bahasa Malaysia and you only complete the parts marked for your claim.
5. Attach your documents. Common attachments are your MyKad, medical certificates and reports, the accident report, a police report for a commuting accident, hospital records, and your bank account details for payment.
6. Submit at a PERKESO office. Lodge the completed form and documents at the nearest PERKESO office counter. Your employer can help, or you can do it yourself.
7. Attend the Medical Board. For a permanent disablement claim, PERKESO refers your case to the Medical Board to assess the degree of loss. Where the assessed loss does not exceed 20%, benefit is generally paid as a lump sum. Where it exceeds 20%, you may take part as a lump sum with the balance paid monthly for life. You can appeal a Medical Board decision to the Appellate Medical Board.

There is no single fixed processing time. Complete, straightforward claims move faster. Cases needing Medical Board assessment or occupational disease investigation take longer.

How invalidity claims differ

Invalidity is a condition of permanent nature, from any cause unrelated to work, that stops you earning about one-third of a normal wage. You apply using Borang 34 with a medical report, and the Medical Board certifies invalidity before an invalidity pension or grant is approved. The condition should be certified before you turn 60.

How EIS (SIP) claims differ

EIS claims are for losing your job, so there is no accident report and no Medical Board. The key rules:

• Apply within 60 days of your loss of employment date.
• Register on MYFutureJobs and take part in job matching, since active job search is a condition of the Job Search Allowance.
• Cover applies to reasons such as retrenchment, VSS/MSS, business closure and constructive dismissal. Ordinary voluntary resignation is not covered.

Self-employed (Lindung Kendiri)

Self-employed members claim under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme, using the same injury and Medical Board route. Cover only exists if you have been contributing. No contribution means no protection.

Benefit rates and daily wage limits change. Confirm the current figures and forms on the PERKESO website or the ASSIST Portal before you file.

PERKESO runs three main online services. Each one is for a different person: the employer paying contributions, the job seeker looking for work, and you as a member checking your own record. Here is what each does and how to use it.

ASSIST Portal (for employers)

The ASSIST Portal is where employers register their business, register their workers, and submit and pay monthly SOCSO and EIS contributions. It sits at assist.perkeso.gov.my.

To get started, an employer applies for a Portal ID. A new employer completes the Portal ID registration for a new employer; an employer already registered with PERKESO follows the existing-employer process. Once approved, PERKESO issues login credentials so the employer can access the portal.

What employers do inside ASSIST:

• Register new employees so they are covered from their first day of work.
• Submit contributions, either by keying in figures directly or by uploading a contribution file.
• Pay contributions, using FPX online banking or a Direct Debit Authorisation (DDA) mandate. SOCSO and EIS can be paid together in one transaction.
• Keep records, downloading the payment receipts and contribution statements the portal generates, and checking past payment history.

Contributions are due monthly. Confirm the deadline and the current contribution rates against the official schedule on the PERKESO website before you pay, since rates and wage ceilings are revised from time to time.

Self-employed people use a separate track. Registration and contribution for Lindung Kendiri (the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme) run through the PERKESO Matrix portal at matrix.perkeso.gov.my, and you can also register at a SOCSO office. Your cover as a self-employed contributor starts from the date and time your contribution is received, so keep the receipt.

MYFutureJobs (for job seekers and re-employment)

MYFutureJobs (myfuturejobs.gov.my) is Malaysia's national employment service, developed by the Ministry of Human Resources and run by PERKESO. It matches job seekers to vacancies based on skills, education, experience and preferences, and it is free to use. You can create a profile, build a resume, take a self-assessment, and browse or apply for jobs. Employers post vacancies and get matched candidates through the same platform.

MYFutureJobs is also the re-employment arm of EIS. If you have lost your job and are claiming EIS benefits, you are required to register with MYFutureJobs and take part in the re-employment programme: career counselling, job-matching sessions and interviews arranged by an Employment Services Officer. Attendance matters, because not taking part can affect your benefit. The programme also offers training and job-search support such as interview preparation and career grooming.

The member portal (for checking your own record)

As an employee or member, you will want to confirm your employer is actually paying your SOCSO each month. A few ways to check:

• PERKESO Matrix portal (matrix.perkeso.gov.my): log in to view your contribution history month by month.
• MyPERKESO / MYFutureJobs mobile app: offers similar checks on your phone.
• e-Semak: an online lookup on the PERKESO site to confirm your registration status using your IC number.
• Your payslip: many employers print the SOCSO number and deduction there.

If something looks wrong, or you cannot find your record, call the PERKESO careline on 1-300-22-8000 or visit the nearest SOCSO office with your IC number ready. Checking early is worth it, because gaps in contribution can affect a claim later.

When a worker is hurt on the job or falls into invalidity, PERKESO pays a cash benefit, and it also works to get the injured person back on their feet and, where possible, back into a job. That is what PERKESO's Return to Work (RTW) programme does. It started in 2007 and now sits inside PERKESO's wider Disability Management work.

The programme is open to Insured Persons who suffer an employment injury or who are covered under the Invalidity Scheme. The idea is early intervention. PERKESO steps in soon after the injury, plans the recovery, and works towards a safe return to productive work as soon as it is medically sound.

Case management, one officer per case

Each case is handled by a case manager, in PERKESO's structure a Disability Management Officer (DMO) or Assistant Disability Management Officer (ADMO). The officer coordinates the rehabilitation plan and keeps the moving parts in step: the Insured Person, the treating doctors, the family, the employer, and the rehabilitation providers. The approach is described as biopsychosocial, meaning it covers the physical injury, the mental and emotional side, and the social and workplace side together. Part of the process is a Work Ability Assessment (WAA) to match the person to suitable work or job accommodations.

Physical and vocational rehabilitation

Two broad tracks run under RTW.

Physical rehabilitation rebuilds function. It includes physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and PERKESO has invested in neuro-robotic therapy. Specific therapies cover limb, neurology, sensory, cardiology, breathing, speech, and burn recovery. Assistive devices such as orthotics and prosthetics can be provided, and so can workplace or vehicle modifications where these help a person get back to work.

Vocational rehabilitation builds skills for those who need a new line of work. The SOCSO Rehabilitation Centre runs training modules including:

For those who want to run their own business, there is an entrepreneurship track (RTWPreneur). For job placement, RTW links to MYFutureJobs, PERKESO's employment portal, so a rehabilitated worker can be matched to vacancies.

Where it happens

Rehabilitation is delivered at PERKESO's own centres and through appointed panel providers. The flagship is the Tun Abdul Razak Rehabilitation Centre in Melaka, which has treated tens of thousands of patients since 2014. A newer facility, the Sultan Nazrin Shah PERKESO Rehabilitation Centre, began trial operations in 2025. Beyond these, PERKESO has a network of registered rehabilitation panel providers around the country, so treatment does not have to mean travelling to Melaka.

Why it matters

For the worker, the programme protects income earning ability and independence, both during recovery and across the working years that follow. For the employer, an experienced worker returning after rehabilitation costs far less than recruiting and training a replacement, and PERKESO offers consultation on job and workplace modifications to make the return work.

How to get in: if you or an employee has an accepted employment injury or invalidity case, ask about RTW when dealing with your PERKESO office, or contact the programme directly on 1300 22 8000, email [email protected], or the Disability Management portal at rtwsocso.perkeso.gov.my. Recovery rates, module lists, and centre capacity change over time, so confirm current details with PERKESO before you plan around them.

PERKESO now sits at the centre of Malaysia's social security system, reaching well beyond the factory-floor workers it started with in 1971. Its schemes cover employees under a contract of service, self-employed people across some 20 registered sectors under Lindung Kendiri, foreign workers, housewives, and now gig workers. In 2024 alone PERKESO paid out about RM5.82 billion in benefits to more than 870,000 recipients, which gives a sense of how much of the safety net it carries.

Recent expansions

The last few years brought the biggest changes in a generation.

• Higher wage ceiling. From 1 October 2024, the wage ceiling for SOCSO and EIS contributions rose from RM5,000 to RM6,000 a month, following amendments to the Employees' Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4) and the Employment Insurance System Act 2017 (Act 800). This lifted contributions and benefit rates for higher earners and affected around 1.5 million contributors. Employers had a grace period to 31 March 2025 to adjust.
• Gig workers. The Gig Workers Act 2025 was gazetted on 31 December 2025 and came into force on 31 March 2026. It makes social security compulsory for gig workers through the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017, funded by a contribution set around 1.25% of earnings per job. Reports put the number of gig and self-employed workers in scope at roughly 1.2 million. The government has offered to subsidise a large share of contributions for early registrants in the first years.
• Foreign workers. From 1 July 2024, foreign workers were brought under the Invalidity Scheme, adding to the employment injury cover they already held.
• Housewives. The Housewives' Social Security Scheme (SKSSR), running since December 2022 under the Housewives' Social Security Act 2022, protects homemakers against domestic injury and invalidity for a modest yearly contribution. More than 500,000 housewives have registered.

Gaps that remain

Coverage on paper runs ahead of coverage in practice. Take-up among gig and self-employed workers has historically been low, with earlier estimates putting active self-employed protection at a small fraction of the sector. Enforcement across many small platforms and informal arrangements is still being worked out under the new law. Gig legislation also left out mandatory EPF retirement savings for now, so an active gig worker may have accident and invalidity cover while building little for old age.

What to do next

Rates and ceilings move, so treat any figure here as a pointer and confirm the current schedule before you act.

• Employers: register the business and staff through the ASSIST Portal (assist.perkeso.gov.my), submit monthly contributions on time, and check the latest contribution table each year on perkeso.gov.my.
• Self-employed and gig workers: sign up under Lindung Kendiri via the PERKESO self-employment portal, keep contributions current so a claim is not disputed, and confirm which sector code applies to you.
• Jobseekers and the retrenched: if you lose your job, lodge your EIS (SIP) claim through the EIS portal and use MYFutureJobs (myfuturejobs.gov.my) for placement, training, and job-search allowances.
• Everyone: verify your contribution record early, because a gap in payments is easier to fix before you need to claim than after.