KSM committed to ensuring success of PEMERKASA implementation

PUTRAJAYA, March 18 -- The Ministry of Human Resources (KSM) will ensure that initiatives under the Strategic Programme to Empower People and the Economy (PEMERKASA) can be materialised for the benefit of all target groups.

In a statement today, KSM said the initiatives included the extension of the Wage Subsidy Programme 3.0 and a matching fund for women under the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

Yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launched worth RM20 billion, along with a new fiscal injection by the government amounting to RM11 billion.

PEMERKASA will focus on 20 strategic initiatives to boost economic growth, support business, and continue targeted assistance to the people and sectors that are still affected.

KSM is specifically involved in the second focus, which is Driving Economic Recovery through the seventh initiative, namely Employment Retention and Hiring Incentives.

According to KSM, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) would also be mobilised under PEMERKASA through the UpskillMalaysia platform which serves as an information centre for skills upgrading and retraining of employees and the e-LATiH portal that provides access to more than 300 free online training courses.

The government would continue to improve the PenjanaKerjaya 2.0 programme by expanding the scope of recruitment incentive to include temporary and gig economy jobs, it said.

It involved an allocation of RM300 million, which will benefit 60,000 workers, with each worker receiving RM600 a month for a maximum of six months.

For employers offering short-term jobs or gig service providers registered with Socso, they will receive RM200 for every worker.

-- BERNAMA