KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 – The Housewives Social Security Scheme will continue with an allocation of RM50 million to benefit over 400,000 housewives who have registered for the programme through the government’s e-Kasih system, announced Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his Budget 2024 speech today.
The Housewives Social Security Scheme was introduced following the passage of the Housewives Social Security Bill in the Dewan Rakyat in July and then in the Dewan Negara in August of 2022. The scheme is enforced and managed by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).
Meanwhile, Anwar also said that the matching contribution under the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF’s) i-Suri and i-Saraan programmes will be increased to RM300 a year with a maximum limit of RM3,000 per lifetime, and RM500 a year with a maximum limit of RM5,000 per lifetime respectively.
Additionally, the prime minister said the EPF’s i-Sayang programme will be expanded to also enable wives to transfer two per cent of their EPF contributions to their husbands.
i-Sayang, a facility that allows husbands to voluntarily transfer two per cent of their EPF monthly contributions to their wives’ accounts for their future income wellbeing, was launched by Anwar on International Women’s Day last year.
