THE grace period for the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) Self-Employed Employment Injury Scheme (SPS) registration ends in less than three months, yet barely half of the taxi and e-hailing drivers in Penang have signed up for the mandatory scheme.

Based on statistics from the Socso Penang secretariat office, only 1,100 out of 2,898 taxi and e-hailing drivers registered in the state have registered for SPS so far.

Socso offices in the island, as well as in the mainland, have organised briefing programmes to facilitate registration, but the response has been lukewarm.

In the most recent briefing programme held, only 265 drivers turned up, with 135 of them at the programme in Seberang Jaya, and the remaining at the Socso office in George Town.

E-hailing driver Hiew Han Lun, 31, who has yet to register for SPS said that he had reservations about signing up because he thought that he would have to contribute a large amount to the scheme.

Working as a chef by night and providing e-hailing services during his free time, Hiew said he had been misinformed by a member of his social media group that he would have to pay a minimum of RM150 per month if he were to register with SPS.

“I feel it would be an absolute rip-off as I am an e-hailing driver only for a few hours a day,” he said, adding that he eventually found out that the payment was actually a yearly one and can be paid in monthly instalments.

A female e-hailing driver who only wished to be known as Chua said she had already registered for the scheme, which she found to be beneficial especially for those who work full-time like her.

Chua said that the information provided on Socso’s official website clearly explained SPS and why it is compulsory for e-hailing drivers to register.

“Socso has also made the registration very convenient for us. I did mine online and it was super easy,” she said.

Socso is giving taxi and e-hailing drivers until May 31 this year to register themselves for the scheme. Effective June 1, a compound ranging between RM500 and RM4,000 will be imposed on those who fail to do so. – Bernama, March 5, 2019.