THE Human Resources Ministry (MOHR) said it was looking into improving the mechanism of the Kerjaya Madani incentive so more gig workers could participate in the training.

Minister V. Sivakumar said the improvement was necessary as the programme was still not well received by gig workers despite having been active since April.

“The ministry, through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), has started many initiatives, including the Kerjaya Madani incentive, to train gig workers to shift … to the formal sector.

“But because they were asked to attend these training sessions, they had to forgo the salary they would have received if they worked during the training period, which is understandably difficult for them,” he told reporters after opening the International Public Employment Forum 2023 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

Sivakumar said there were 1.1 million gig workers in Malaysia, and efforts must be made to allow them to transition into the formal industry and ensure they receive social protection.

The Kerjaya Madani incentive has three elements – the Daya Kerjaya Programme, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Daya Kerjaya Programme and the Bina Kerjaya Programme – which the government launched on April 13.

Under the Daya Kerjaya programme, employers who hire long-unemployed youth, Orang Asli, women, people with disabilities, the hardcore poor, people on parole, ex-prisoners and TVET graduates would receive financial incentives.

The Bina Kerjaya Programme aimed to help those working in the informal sector gain formal employment. This would be done through the Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning, micro-credentials or professional and competency certificates, with training subsidies of up to RM4,000 and allowances of RM300 per month for a maximum of three months. – Bernama, October 11, 2023.