KUALA LUMPUR (July 4): A bill related to the welfare of gig workers is expected to be tabled for its first reading at the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Parliament in October, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said this was decided at a meeting of the Supreme Committee on the Establishment of the Malaysian Gig Economy Commission, which he chaired here on Thursday.

He said the enactment of this act is necessary as only about 250,000 out of the 1.16 million gig workers in the country contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

"... a new act to address issues concerning gig workers will be presented by the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma), and we have set a date for the first reading of this bill during the parliamentary sitting from October to December," he said at a press conference after the meeting, which was also attended by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.

Zahid said the meeting also decided to formally establish the Gig Economy Commission under the Prime Minister's Department, which will be implemented within two months from now.

He said the commission does not only cover e-hailing and p-hailing workers but also part-time and semi-professional workers who fall under the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017 (Act 789).

He said Kesuma will present a Cabinet memorandum on the proposal for the establishment of the new act and various holistic aspects of the gig economy within two weeks from now.

"This is a game changer initiated by the government because only a few countries in the world have implemented such an act and the Gig Economy Commission, namely in California, the United States, in India, and some neighbouring countries are in the process.

"The ILO (International Labour Organisation) will only hold a conference on this matter next year, but Malaysia through Kesuma is taking proactive steps to do so earlier," he said.

Last February, Sim said the government would review the need to amend the existing Employment Act 1955 or establish a new act to protect the welfare of e-hailing workers.

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