MELAKA: Nurulasikin Ismail, 46, was truly saddened when she suddenly lost her husband Saifulnizam Razak to chronic asthma at the beginning of Ramadan but she is somewhat relieved to learn that she will receive the Survivor’s Pension benefit from the Social Security Organisation’s (Perkeso) which will go towards supporting her six children.

Nurulasikin said initially she did not know that her self-employed husband was a Perkeso contributor.

“It was my mother-in-law who found out about it and following this, we applied for the benefit. Alhamdulillah, we were successful and the process was smooth and easy,“ she told Bernama here today.

“The benefit we received was very big, and it will be useful to me to continue raising our four school-going children. Our two older children, aged 19 and 20, are working in order to ease my burden.”

She said this after the ‘Program Penyampaian Faedah Skuad Perkeso Prihatin’ at her home in Taman Saujana Permai Flats, Bukit Katil here which was attended by Melaka Health, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Ngwe Hee Sem and state Perkeso director Abd Razak Omar.

Nurulasikin, a part-time worker at an Ayer Keroh supermarket, will receive a monthly benefit of RM1,418.75, in addition to a one-time Funeral Benefit of RM2,000.

She expressed her gratefulness to Perkeso for its quick action in easing her burden after her husband’s demise.

Meanwhile, Ngwe said he hoped Nurulasikin will make the best use of the benefit and focus on her children’s education, thus giving them some comfort.

“I hope that individuals who are self-employed and have not contributed to Perkeso should do so immediately to ensure that they and their families can be protected in the event of an accident or illness while working,“ he also said.

He added that workers must ensure that their employers contribute to Perkeso and if the employers neglect to carry out this responsibility, then complaints can be channelled to the Melaka Perkeso office for further action. -Bernama