Housewives' EPF: Implementation of salary deduction for polygamous husbands to be fine-tuned

KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) salary deduction for a husband who has more than one wife is currently being fine-tuned by the EPF and Social Security Organisation (Socso), said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said currently the 2% deduction from husband's salary and RM50 government contribution was only for the first wife.
"The implementation of 2% husband's contribution and social security coverage by Socso requires amendments to the existing laws, policies and regulations under the EPF and Socso under the Finance Ministry and Human Resource Ministry respectively," she said at the Special Chamber session of the sitting at the Dewan Rakyat today.
She was responding to a question from Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) on the issue of the implementation of 2% EPF contribution to a housewife.
Wan Azizah also stressed that the implementation of the EPF deduction of 2% of the husband's salary would still be implemented to meet the government's commitment to the people.
She said the implementation of the scheme would be carried out in phases as it would benefit housewives not only in the form of savings, but also social protection benefits under Socso.
On the event of the husband refused to contribute 2% of his salary to wife, Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said the housewives alternatively could benefit from the savings and government contribution under the 1Malaysia Retirement Savings Scheme (SP1M).
She said SP1M, introduced in January 2010, was aimed at ensuring those who were self-employed and without regular income including housewives, to achieve a certain level of savings upon reaching the retirement age.
"The concept of SP1M is to encourage voluntary contributions into EPF accounts as required. The savings will receive a matching contribution from the government by 15% of the amount contributed, subject to a maximum of RM250 per year," she said. — Bernama