JOHOR BAHRU: TEKUN Nasional is targeting 25,000 of its entrepreneurs to register and contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) through the 'TEKUN Entrepreneur Socso Contribution Campaign'.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the campaign, a collaboration between the Human Resource Ministry and the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development (MEDAC), aimed to raise awareness among entrepreneurs on the importance of social security protection, besides encouraging them to contribute to Socso.

"To date, 16,830 TEKUN entrepreneurs have subscribed to SKSPS. Therefore, this campaign supports the aim of attracting more TEKUN entrepreneurs to contribute to SKSPS.

"I also hope TEKUN Nasional could also consider for making it compulsory for TEKUN entrepreneurs to contribute to Socso during the funding period," he told reporters after launching the campaign here today.

Meanwhile, Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan described the initiative as important to ensure a social safety net for the Self-Employed (OBS), especially among entrepreneurs in Malaysia.

"Under SKSPS, entrepreneurs and traders will be protected against employment injuries, including occupational diseases and accidents during work-related activities," he said, adding that a total of 360,469 or about 15 per cent of the 2.38 million self-employed in the country had contributed to SKSPS up to last Feb 18.

He said Socso had also paid more than RM6 million to a total of 2,142 beneficiaries among the OBS.

-- BERNAMA