Employees, including part-time workers , ust ensure their employers contribute towards the Social Security Organisation (Socso), Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran said today.

Kulasegaran said the move must be taken to ensure they are protected in the event of an accident when at work.

He said action could be taken any employer who fails to register their companies and workers with Socso under Section 93 of the Employees Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4). 

‘’All employers in the country must register (workers) and all workers must be protected... the overall objective of Socso is to cover all the people in this country.

‘’Grasscutters, part-time workers too must be protected, not only full-time (workers),’’ he told reporters after visiting the families of six victims who were killed in a two-storey shoplot fire in Ipoh today.

During the visit, Kulasegaran also handed over cheques for funeral arrangements from Socso amounting to RM2,000 each for the families.

It is learnt that those who were killed in the incident were P Thiagarajun, 40, who was believed to be the owner of the premises and five part-time workers, namely, Mohd Nor Aiman Abdul Rahman, 16; Mohamad Nor Ikram Mohd Husni, 15; Mohd Ikhmal Izzudin Mohd Kamari, 16; Ahmad Faizal Amiruddin, 16, and Mohamad Azhar Shah Rosli, 19.

Commenting further on the fire, Kulasegaran said Socso was investigating the incident because it involved a 15-year-old boy, noting that it is an offence under the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966 to hire a person under the age of 16 years.

‘’We know an offence had been perpetrated in this case, and I have directed that firm action must be taken against the quarters concerned,’’ he said, adding that Socso had met the quarters concerned and follow up action would be taken.

- Bernama