SHAH ALAM, July 22 — The LINDUNG 24 Jam Non-Occupational Accident Scheme provides employees with more comprehensive protection as it covers accidents beyond work hours, which would ease financial burdens after an untoward incident, say experts.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) School of Business and Economics lecturer Prof Rusmawati Said said employees should consider the benefits of the new Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) plan as many accidents could happen outside work hours.
“A data report in 2024 broadcast by the media before this showed that from 86,529 accident cases received by SOCSO, around 23 per cent of accidents occurred outside working hours. This led to more employees being ineligible to make claims under existing protections.
“So we can see that the purpose of the scheme is to provide comprehensive protection to employees, be it during or outside work hours.
“Sometimes, the effects from these accidents aren’t short term, but long term, especially in terms of contributors economic continuity, which could be affected if they are disabled and such,” she told Media Selangor.
Rusmawati said employees that have private insurance should reassess their benefits because not all schemes offer comprehensive advantages, including for permanent disability.
“Maybe there are some that only cover hospital bills, so there is a benefit to rechecking your policies,” she said.
However, she added that SOCSO must provide better explanations to employers and employees to ensure they understand the actual concept of LINDUNG 24 Jam and don’t view it as an overlapping contribution.
Rusmawati said clear understanding is important so employees can make informed decisions based on the benefits of the scheme, not just the contribution amount.
Meanwhile, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Faculty of Economics and Management lecturer Muhammad Syukri Abdullah said employees, especially breadwinners, should consider the scheme as additional financial protection.
He said accidents could happen at any time, including when one is at home, driving on personal business, playing sports, or doing their daily tasks.
He added that serious injury could affect incomes when employees must still meet commitments like loan repayments, household spending, and treatment costs.
“Coverage like this should be considered, especially by employees who are breadwinners, have many dependents, or don’t have sufficient accident protection.
“The aim isn’t to invite misfortune, but to ensure families have safety nets if anything untoward happens,” said Syukri.
Previously, the government announced that LINDUNG 24 Jam is voluntary for local workers. SOCSO then opened online applications for exemption from LINDUNG 24 Jam on July 13.
