Lukewarm response to SPS scheme from Penang taxi, e-hailing drivers

GEORGE TOWN, March 5 (Bernama) – The grace period for Social Security Organisation’s (SOCSO) Self-Employed Employment Injury Scheme (SPS) registration ends in less than three months, yet barely half of the taxi and e-hailing drivers in Penang have signed up for the mandatory scheme.

Based on statistics obtained by Bernama from the SOCSO Penang secretariat office, out of 2,898 taxi and e-hailing drivers registered in the state, only 1,100 of them have registered for the SPS so far.

The SOCSO offices in the island, as well as in the mainland, had organised briefing programmes to facilitate the drivers involved to register, but the response has been lukewarm.

In the most recent briefing programme held, Bernama found that only 265 drivers turned up, with 135 of them at the programme in Seberang Jaya, and the remaining turned up at the SOCSO office here.

E-hailing driver Hiew Han Lun, 31, who has yet to register for the SPS told Bernama that he had reservation signing up because he thought that he would have to contribute a large amount for the scheme.

Working as a chef by night and carrying out his e-hailing service during his free time, Hiew said he had been misinformed  by a member of his social media group that he would have to pay a minimum of RM150 per month if he were to register with the SPS.

“I feel that would be an absolute rip-off as I am an e-hailing driver only for a few hours in a day,” he said, adding that he eventually found out that the amount was actually per year and can be paid in monthly instalments.

A female e-hailing driver who only wished to be known as Chua told Bernama that she had already registered herself for the scheme, which she found to be beneficial especially for those who carry out the service full-time like her.

Chua said that the information provided in SOCSO’s official website  provided clear explanation about SPS and the reason it  be made compulsory for e-hailing drivers to register.

“SOCSO has also made the registration very convenient for us (drivers). I did mine online and it was super easy,” she told Bernama.

SOCSO is giving the taxi and e-hailing drivers until May 31 this year to register themselves for the scheme where effective June 1, a compound ranging between RM500 and RM4,000 would be imposed on those who failed to do so.

-- BERNAMA