Minister of Home Affairs Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman at the 21st Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday revealed that the recently announced new medical insurance policy for foreign workers must be paid by employer and not the employee.
Responding to inquires by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan on the newly introduced insurance policy, the minister said, “The medical insurance policy must be bought by the employer themselves and if an employer is found guilty to deducting the salary of their employee to pay for the insurance, the employer can face a compound fine of up to BND1,000 for each offence or can be brought to court and face the punishment of BND2,000 or imprisonment of no more than six months or both.”
The offence, he said, “is under Section 113 A (3), Chapter 278 of the Employee Act.”
He added that the revised and new medical insurance policy helps the government by ensuring better social protection for foreign workers and reduces the burden of employers in line with the country’s efforts to increase the well-being of workers.
The policy is applicable to all private sectors in the formal sector only.
He said currently the minimum insurance coverage is BND10,000 for a year and with the new foreign worker insurance policy, insurance coverage will increase to BND100,000 for a period of two years to help the government on the issue of arrears in medical bills.
On the Immigration and National Registration system he said, “Over 80 per cent of the system are completed and is currently in use, while other part of the system are being tested. The systems that are being used are national level management system and IC system.” – James Kon
