Published On: 11/11/2025By

PERKESO to Offer 24/7 Coverage for Workers: What Employers Should Know About the New “Lindung 24/7” Scheme

Malaysia is taking a major step toward strengthening worker protection. The Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025, tabled in Parliament by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, introduces a new 24-hour protection scheme under the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO).

Known as the Non-Occupational Disaster Accident Scheme, or Lindung 24/7, this initiative aims to protect workers beyond normal office hours — ensuring that every employee is covered around the clock, not just during working hours or commutes.

Why Lindung 24/7 Matters

Currently, PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme only covers incidents that occur during working hours or while commuting between home and the workplace.

This leaves a 16-hour gap each day when workers remain unprotected. If an accident happens during personal time — such as while buying groceries, driving children to school, or doing household chores — it is not covered under the current system.

Between 2018 and August 2024, PERKESO rejected nearly 30,000 claims that fell outside the scope of employment. Many involved serious accidents that occurred after working hours, such as:

  • A factory worker injured while fetching his spouse after work.

  • A system engineer who fractured his ankle at a petrol station after taking his child to the hospital.

  • A business account manager who died following a weekend road accident.

These cases highlight a growing reality: accidents can happen anytime, anywhere — and social protection should not end when employees clock out.

Introducing Lindung 24/7: Protection Beyond Working Hours

The Lindung 24/7 scheme aims to close this gap by offering 24-hour nationwide coverage for workers. It reflects Malaysia’s evolving work environment, where remote, flexible, and hybrid arrangements blur the line between work and personal life.

The new scheme will form part of PERKESO’s Lindung Pekerja programme and is expected to benefit 10 million employees nationwide.

Key Benefits under Lindung 24/7 include:

  • Medical Benefits – Free treatment at PERKESO panel clinics or government hospitals.

  • Disablement Benefits – Income replacement in cases of temporary or permanent injury.

  • Dependants’ Benefits – Financial support for family members if the worker passes away.

  • Funeral Benefits – Assistance with funeral-related costs.

  • Constant Attendance Allowance – For workers requiring full-time personal care.

  • Rehabilitation and Education Assistance – Support for recovery and dependants’ education.

This initiative ensures that protection follows the worker 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — whether they are at work, at home, or on personal errands.

Real Case Examples That Show Why Lindung 24/7 Matters

PERKESO highlighted several real-world cases that were previously rejected due to outdated coverage limits:

  1. Worker Injured During a Hybrid Workday Errand
     A hybrid employee slipped and fractured a foot while sending a child to a hospital appointment. The case was rejected since it happened outside work duties.
  2. Factory Operator Injured at Home
     A worker slipped in the bathroom at home and fractured a finger. Because it happened after hours, no compensation was provided.
  3. Road Accident After Leaving Work Early
     A young employee involved in a motorcycle accident after leaving work for personal reasons had their claim rejected for being “non-work-related.”

Under Lindung 24/7, all these cases would now qualify for protection, ensuring workers are no longer penalized for when or where accidents happen.

A More Inclusive and Affordable Social Safety Net

Unlike private insurance, which many B40 and middle-income workers cannot afford, Lindung 24/7 provides a structured, government-backed, and affordable safety net.

It complements existing PERKESO protections while addressing a long-standing coverage gap for non-work-related accidents. This makes it a critical step toward an inclusive and equitable social protection system in Malaysia.

“Work styles may be flexible, but the right to be protected should never change.”

The amendment also aligns with the government’s broader goal of modernising Malaysia’s labour protection framework, ensuring that no worker is left vulnerable regardless of when or where an accident occurs.

What Employers Should Prepare For

Once the Bill is passed and implemented, employers should expect updates to PERKESO contribution structures and coverage scope. HR and payroll teams must stay informed to ensure proper deduction and reporting compliance.

Here’s what employers can do in advance:

  1. Stay updated on official PERKESO announcements regarding contribution rates and effective dates.

  2. Review employee records to ensure accurate PERKESO contribution data.

  3. Update HR and payroll systems, such as Pandahrms, to automatically adjust contributions and coverage once the new scheme takes effect.

  4. Educate employees about the extended protection and its benefits.

Implementation Timeline

The Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025 had its first reading on October 30, 2025. The second and third readings are scheduled for December 2025, after which implementation details — including contribution rates and effective date — will be announced by PERKESO.

If approved, Lindung 24/7 will mark a new era of worker protection — ensuring that coverage no longer ends when the workday does.

Source: The Star — “PERKESO to Offer 24/7 Coverage for Workers,” published on 1 November 2025. Read the full article here.