00:00 A social security economist has called for the expansion of the social security system
00:06 to include everyone, including women and casual workers currently overlooked.
00:12 Amjad Rabi, a visiting expert at University Malaya, said the current system mainly serves
00:18 salaried workers and the poor.
00:20 He called for a comprehensive framework to ensure everyone enjoyed basic social protection,
00:26 income security and access to health, education and key services.
00:31 Amjad said broad protection would effectively reduce poverty and inequality without focusing
00:37 solely on income levels and would avoid errors in aid programmes.
00:42 Another policy analyst, Edwin Goh, said the current social protection system is hampered
00:47 by duplication, fragmented administration, inadequate coverage and poor targeting mechanisms.
00:53 He suggested that the Malaysian Social Protection Council be given a strong political mandate
00:58 for major reforms.
01:00 Goh said these reforms could include rationalising duplicated programmes, establishing a centralised
01:06 social protection database and creating a unified social protection registry.
01:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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