PRESS STATEMENT BY YB CHONG ENG ON NOVEMBER 24, 2021
CHAIRMAN OF DAP WOMEN’S WING | PENANG EXCO FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND NON-ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS | PADANG LALANG STATE ASSEMBLYMAN:
EPF’S I-SAYANG A GOOD MOVE TO INCLUDE A WIFE INTO SOCIAL SAFETY NET
I welcome the Employees Provident Fund’s move to launch i-Sayang facility early next year as part of its efforts to improve the livelihood of the people.
The facility will allow voluntary transfer of 2% EPF contributions by a contributor to his wife’s account.
This is a positive step towards recognising a homemaker’s contribution especially in the case of a wife giving up her career to take care of a family.
The 2% EPF contribution may not be a huge sum of money but it will definitely accumulate over a long period of time and this can be a form of financial planning.
A homemaker is unable to work full time and thereby denied of the social safety net she used to be entitled to while in employment.
While love and care is unable to be measured by financial payment, the EPF contribution serves as an effort to acknowledge a wife’s role in a family by including her into the social safety net.
This helps to create a harmonious family and reduce gender disparity in earning power.
It is time to move on from the traditional mindset of homemaker not earning income and therefore reward is not necessary.
The world is changing fast and we are entering new era whereby some of the existing schemes under the EPF may need expansion to include new facilities to meet with fresh and unprecedented challenges, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Perhaps we should also consider exploring the possibilities of allowing homemakers to be entitled to social security benefits. After all, housework is also work which contribute to the economy but without salary.
行动党全国妇女组主席 | 槟州社会发展及非伊斯兰事务委员会主席 | 槟城州巴当拉浪区州议员章瑛于11月24日的文告:
欢迎公积金的新计划 – i-Sayang把妻子纳入了社会福利， 提供保障
我欢迎公积金将在明年初启动I – Sayang计划，作为其改善民生活的一部分。
该计划允许丈夫自愿将2%的公积金缴纳到妻子的户头。
在男性为主的东方社会，这是认同家庭主妇的贡献的大迈进，特别是妻子放弃个人事业，回归家庭照顾孩子家人。
这2%的公积金可能不是一笔巨款，但聚沙成塔，长期缴纳也是一笔数目，这可以是一种财务规划的形式,
家庭主妇无法全职工作，因此失去了她过去在就业期间有权享受的社会福利。
虽然爱和关怀不能用金钱来衡量，但I – Sayang计划是通过将妻子纳入社会福利机制 ，承认妻子在家庭中的付出， 提供保障。
这有助于创造一个和谐的家庭，减少两性在赚钱能力上的差距， 也是时候改变家庭主妇不需要收入，更无需回报的传统观念。
我们处在千变万化的世界，在这个新时代，公积金的一些现有计划可能需要扩大，纳入新的项目，特别是在新冠肺炎疫情所带来的全新的和前所未有的挑战.
也许我们还应该考虑提供家庭主妇社险的保障的可能性。毕竟，持家也是对经济有贡献但是一份没有薪水的工作。