A total of 4,365 housewives have signed up for the Suri Incentive (i-Suri) voluntary contribution scheme since it was launched on Aug 15, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

She said the implementation of the i-Suri scheme was aimed at ensuring the well-being of women, especially housewives.

"The government views seriously the effort and committed to ensuring the success of the incentive and wellbeing of women. We believe that women including housewives, have continuously, directly or indirectly, contributed to our nation's development."

Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said this at the National Council of Women's Organisations Malaysia’s (NCWO) Women’s Day Dinner 2018 tonight.

She said the i-Suri scheme under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) would be implemented in phase.

"The first phase of the scheme targets the housewives who are the wives of household heads, single mothers who are household heads, widows or single women registered in the national database on poverty, e-Kasih," he said.

The dinner was graced by Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim who also launched the book titled Sri Kandi: Biografi Penerima Pingat Mas Tun Fatimah 1974-2013 authored by Prof Emeritus Nik Safiah Karim.

Also present were Selangor Health, Welfare and Women and Family Empowerment Committee chairperson Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and NCWO president Prof Emerita Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin.

- Bernama