KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) has officially launched a brand-new safety net called the Lindung 24 Jam scheme. This Non-Employment Injury Scheme is specifically designed to keep workers and their families financially afloat if an unexpected accident or tragedy hits outside of office hours.
Speaking on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme last night, PERKESO Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Strategy and Corporate, Edmund Cheong Peck Huang, explained that the policy steps in to shield thousands of everyday employees who simply do not qualify for payouts under standard workplace injury guidelines.
The structural gap in the country’s social security net stands out clearly in recent data. Cheong pointed out that out of more than 80,000 accident claims submitted to PERKESO back in 2024, over 20,000 cases were rejected outright. Because those specific injuries fell outside the narrow legal definitions set by the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4), thousands of ordinary citizens were left completely unprotected when facing catastrophic life events.
To fix this flaw, Lindung 24 Jam expands coverage to protect people during normal, daily activities. This means you are now covered while out jogging, playing sports, enjoying a family picnic, or just relaxing on a weekend outing. For instance, if a young professional making RM1,700 a month passes away due to an off-duty mishap, their spouse and children could now qualify for a Dependants’ Benefit that shells out hundreds of thousands of ringgit over their eligible payout window.
This historical policy upgrade addresses a starkly different post-pandemic job market. The original 1971 Employment Injury Scheme only covered on-site factory or office mishaps, alongside accidents involving employer-provided vans or buses. Even when lawmakers added Section 24 in the early 1990s to cover the daily commute between home and work, the policy still relied on rigid, predictable routes. Today, with hybrid work arrangements on the rise, more people are working on the move, completely erasing the old boundaries between our homes and offices. Since mishaps can happen anywhere at any time, this 24-hour upgrade ensures that help is always active.
According to the newly released Employer Circulars No. 1, 2, and 3 of Year 2026, the statutory definition of a non-employment injury formally covers personal harm caused by any accident outside of work, excluding specific scenarios outlined under Section 96B. Under this model, PERKESO fully finances the total cost of all approved medical treatments resulting from these off-duty mishaps, offering comprehensive relief to hard-hit households.
To keep things fair, PERKESO is rolling out the payment structure in gradual stages so lower-income households can easily manage the costs. The funding is mandatory and fully borne by the workers themselves, though employers are legally required to manage and remit the deductions on behalf of their staff for the entire duration of their employment.
The progressive premium timeline will be implemented through the following phases:
| Implementation Phase | Premium Timeline | Mandatory Employee Contribution Rate |
| Phase 1 | First two years of rollout | 0.75% of monthly wage |
| Phase 2 | Next three years of rollout | 1.0% of monthly wage |
| Phase 3 | Sixth year onwards | 1.25% of monthly wage |
However, the policy outlines several strict boundaries regarding what can be claimed,
- Territorial Restrictions, The scheme completely excludes any accidents that occur outside the physical territory of Malaysia.
- Immigration Compliance, Foreign workers who violate their entry conditions or misuse valid permits issued by the Director General of Immigration under the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) cannot access this protection.
- No Double Claims, Individuals cannot make overlapping claims for injuries that are already covered under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (Act 789) or the Housewives’ Social Security Act 2022 (Act 838).
- Strictly Accident-Focused, The circulars explicitly clarify that Lindung 24 Jam does not cover medical conditions caused by personal illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or common fevers.
By addressing these modern employment realities, PERKESO’s updated framework successfully bridges a historic welfare gap. This milestone expansion ensures that the Malaysian workforce remains comprehensively protected, giving households sustainable financial peace of mind whether they are on or off the clock.
