Embedded Files
Lecture No.6
Work and Health Investment
SPEAKER
AZLAN Darus
MBChB MPH MPH(OH) MFOM CDMP
Head, Prevention, Medical, and Rehabilitation Division,
Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), Malaysia
AZLAN Darus is a prominent figure in occupational health, public health policy, and rehabilitation management, with over 20 years of extensive experience across Malaysia’s healthcare sector. As Head of the Prevention, Medical, and Rehabilitation Division at the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), Dr. Azlan has been instrumental in spearheading health initiatives that emphasize workplace safety, injury prevention, and disability management. His career reflects a dedication to elevating health standards at the national level, with expertise that spans disability management, strategic program leadership, and comprehensive public health policy development. His commitment to occupational health has significantly impacted PERKESO’s programs, which now serve as national benchmarks for preventive healthcare and rehabilitation in the field of occupational health and safety.
Dr. Azlan has held numerous key affiliations at both national and international levels. He serves as the Vice President of the Technical Commission for Prevention in Transportation within the International Social Security Association (ISSA), and the Vice Chairman of the ISSA’s Technical Committee for Work Injury. He also serves as the national secretary for the International Commission of Occupational Health (ICOH). Nationally, he is an active Board Member of the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) in Malaysia, playing a crucial role in shaping the nation’s occupational safety policies. He is also a Research Fellow with the Faculty of Human Resource Management at University Utara Malaysia and an Elite Fellow with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya. His work with these institutions has advanced workforce health research and occupational health standards across the country.
Victor C W HOE
Occupational Physician, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre
Victor CW HOE is a Professor of Occupational and Public Health at the Universiti Malaya (UM) and a practicing Occupational Physician at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). He serves as the Head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and was the Senate Representative for the Faculty of Medicine from 2022 to 2024. Dr. Hoe holds a Ph.D. in Occupational Health and Safety from Monash University, along with multiple Master’s degrees in Public Health and Occupational Safety and Health. He has received prestigious accolades, including the ILO Master Fellowship, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Meritorious Award and the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Medal of Merit. His extensive experience includes industrial training with ExxonMobil, DOSH, SOCSO, and NIOSH Malaysia. He serves on the UMMC COVID-19 Task Force, where he contributed to developing Standard Operating Procedures during the pandemic, particularly in environmental control. Additionally, he is a registered consultant for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) with the Department of Environment Malaysia, advising on various major projects. Dr. Hoe’s research interests focus on worksite wellness, musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomics, health risk assessment, Evidence-Based Medicine, and systematic reviews. He continues to lead research initiatives and mentor students in public health.
Keiichi OHWARI
Asia Cancer Forum; KPMG Health Care Japan, Ltd.
Keiichi OHWARI joined KPMG Tokyo in 1987 and worked in its audit department as a Japanese CPA. After four years’ experience in Tokyo, he was seconded to the Dusseldorf office of KPMG Germany for approximately five years to assist Japanese companies in investing and operating in Europe. After returning to Tokyo he worked on various cross-border and domestic M&A transactions. The industries he has worked for are not limited to the healthcare sector, but also automative, high-tech, finance and other industries. He was concurrently working for the Strategic Business Solutions Division of KPMG Consulting to assist various sector clients in developing business strategy. He has led KPMG Japan’s healthcare practice since 2000 (until 2025). Clients he has served include leading medical and other healthcare service providers, such as public and private hospitals, aged care, and senior living operators, and related sector companies such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies, medical outsourcing companies, financial institutions, private equity funds, real estate investors, construction companies, trading houses, and others. He has advised on various clients’ initiatives such as business strategy development, revenue enhancement and operational efficiency, M&A, finance and business financial restructuring.
SUMMARY
(1) Introduction to the lecture
Norie KAWAHARA began by reflecting on the previous lecture series in the spring semester of 2025, which had explored a basic question: “What is well being in Asia?” She recalled how students had looked at the values, assumptions, and the worldviews that underpin this question.
She noted that in the current lecture series students are focused on a more concrete and urgent question: “How can we realize ‘UHC × well being’ through cross border collaboration of knowledge and capital, and significantly reduce the burden of cancer and other NCDs in Asia?”
To tackle this question, students have been exploring practical designs for value co creation between public policy on one hand and private companies on the other. The aim is to address cancer and NCDs, which are among the most pressing health challenges in Asia today.
Dr. Kawahara noted that the course this semester is moving forward in three stages. In the first stage, students mapped the overall landscape of the problems and the core values that shape them. In the second and current stage, students are examining concrete cases, including health care systems, policy approaches, the role of industry, and forms of international cooperation. Then in the final stage, students will design solutions themselves and develop concrete policy proposals based on everything they have learned.
By the end of the course, it is hope that each student will not only gain interdisciplinary knowledge, but will also be able to craft their own policy proposal for realizing UHC and well being in a cross border Asian context.
As Mr. Keizo Takemi had emphasized in the previous lecture, Asia is facing serious challenges under rapid population ageing, and the situation in Japan is already extremely severe. A central question is this: How can “investment in health” — such as health checkups and health oriented management in companies — generate real returns in human capital?
This is not only a question for Japan, but an issue we must think about together across the whole of Asia.
In that context, the initiatives of the Social Security Organization (Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO)) of Malaysia are among the most advanced in the region. They offer a rich seam of lessons for Japan and for other Asian countries. PERKESO has built a great deal of practical experience in shifting the health system from a treatment centered model to a model centered on prevention and early detection.
The speaker for the lecture, Dr. AZLAN Darus, drawing on his academic experience at the University of Malaya, now serves as a key policy leader at PERKESO and plays a central role in shaping Malaysia’s social security and health policies.
Dr. Kawahara noted that Dr. Azlan would share the latest initiatives in Malaysia, the challenges they are facing, and some of their success stories. She encouraged students to think about what elements might be transferable to Japan, and how the ideas shared by Dr. Azlan could inform their own future policy proposals.
(2) Work and Health Investment:
A Social Security Approach To Workplace Health Promotion And Disability Management
AZLAN Darus began by noting that the “best form of social security is for workers to stay safe and healthy,” rather than waiting for accidents or illness to occur before providing compensation. He noted that it is this ethos that would underpin his lecture.
Beginning with an overview of the situation in Malaysia and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), Dr. Azlan noted that Malaysia has a population of 35 million people with a labor force of approximately 17 million. Of these, 12.75 million are employees, while the remainder are either studying, self-employed, or working in informal businesses. As of January 2025, the unemployment rate stands at 3.1%, which is considered negligible.
Health coverage in Malaysia comes from several sources. The primary provider is public healthcare through Ministry of Health hospitals and clinics, which is funded by taxation and is essentially free for the entire population. Around 30% of the population take out additional private health insurance, which enables access to private hospitals and medical services. Some employees receive employer-provided benefits, typically through group medical insurance from mid-sized to large companies. For these employees, coverage is limited by annual caps and is dependent on their employment status. Government workers receive access to public healthcare. Finally, social security coverage is provided through PERKESO for salaried employees, self-employed persons, migrant workers, and domestic workers.
PERKESO covers employment injury schemes (for workplace injuries and occupational diseases) and invalidity (for conditions that prevent a person from working). Death at work or death while working can also be covered by PERKESO, which is also the organization that covers employment injury. PERKESO also operates public employment services, providing job placement and matching for persons who lose their jobs. This becomes particularly relevant when discussing disability management and return to work. It is important to note that PERKESO operates under the Ministry of Human Resources, not the Ministry of Health.
PERKESO was established in 1971 and currently covers approximately 10 million workers. The organization operates on four pillars: 1) enforcement (ensuring premiums are paid to pool funds), 2) prevention, 3) rehabilitation, and 4) compensation (Figure 1).
Figure. 1
Overview of PERKESO
Prevention is considered essential because keeping workers safe and healthy is preferable to paying compensation after accidents or illness. Rehabilitation is equally important because it returns people to their previous functional capacity, benefiting both the individual and the country.
Why should social security organizations address health issues?
The question arises: why should an organization designed to pay compensation for employment injuries engage in health promotion, prevention, and disability management activities? The answer lies in recognizing that social security coverage creates an opportunity to invest in prevention before injuries or illness occur, rather than simply waiting to pay compensation afterward.
Looking at the chronology of illness or injury, there are two notable gaps in the current system. The first gap occurs in the pre-illness phase, where primary prevention activities are not yet sufficient. This gap is considered wide because it is not being fulfilled well. The evidence for this insufficient prevention lies in the high numbers of injuries, diseases, and disabilities occurring among workers (Figure 2).
Figure. 2
Levels of prevention and care and the existence of gaps
Once a person becomes ill, the landscape of health services provides adequate management. Acute treatment, whether requiring surgery, inpatient care, or post-hospitalization outpatient care, is an area where health services are generally sufficient. Workers who are injured or become ill are typically treated well and receive appropriate medical care.
The second gap occurs after acute treatment has concluded. Rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, assistance in determining whether workers can return to their jobs, retraining, re-skilling, and support for return to work—these are areas where the management of continuing healthcare falls short. Many insured persons who have been ill or injured end up applying for disability pensions because they cannot return to their previous level of function. This pattern is particularly common when discussing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions such as cancer.
The cost of unhealthy employees
Research dating back to 1997 and continuing to the present demonstrates that the visible costs of unhealthy employees, comprising personal care costs and medical care costs, represent only the tip of the iceberg. These are the elements typically examined when looking at accounting, balance sheets, and cash flow. However, hidden below the surface are numerous other costs that organizations and policymakers often fail to recognize (Figure 3).
Figure.3
Hidden costs of ill health
These hidden costs include absenteeism (when employees do not come to work) and presenteeism (when employees come to work but do not perform at the level expected). Either way, the company or organization suffers losses. Employees may take longer to complete their work, requiring overtime. Other employees must cover the work of absent colleagues. Companies face problems with turnover and may need to hire temporary staff or train new employees. There are travel costs when employees must travel to cover for ill colleagues. Other potential issues are that a lack of staff may cause customers to become dissatisfied. What is more, an unhealthy workforce results in increased administrative costs. Accordingly, the total economic burden of unhealthy employees is far greater than what appears in financial statements, and the bottom part of this iceberg has likely grown even larger since the 1997 research.
The state of health in the Malaysian workforce
A study of 462,000 workers who participated in a mass health screening run by PERKESO revealed concerning findings. Most notably, 69% had never had a health screening before. Of those screened, 72% were overweight or obese, 27% had hypertension, 9% were diabetic (with an additional 15% pre-diabetic), and 62% had high cholesterol. More recent studies have shown that about 23% have stage two chronic kidney disease and another 3% have stage three chronic kidney disease. Using the Framingham score, 4% of the 462,000 workers screened were found to be at high risk of developing cardiac disease within 10 years, meaning approximately 12,000 to 13,000 people will develop cardiac disease. Only 76% were considered at low risk.
According to WHO data from approximately 15 years ago, the probability of dying due to NCDs between the ages of 35 and 70 is 19.6% for Malaysians. This compares unfavorably to the UK (12%), the United States (14.3%), Australia (9.4%), and Japan (9.3%).
Research examining six APEC economies estimated the lost GDP from NCD-related deaths, absenteeism, and presenteeism. For Malaysia in 2025, the projected loss is approximately US$30 billion, representing about 5% of GDP. This illustrates the consequences of not taking action on NCDs a decade earlier and underscores the importance of prevention efforts.
The fundamental question for organizations concerned with employee welfare is whether the work environment is creating wellbeing or “ill-being.” The evidence suggests that many workers are ending up sick. Therefore, in order to address illness gaps, PERKESO has implemented a "three by three" strategic plan with three main strategies, each containing three major activities.
Strategy 1: Improving personal health awareness
The first flagship program is the PERKESO Health Screening Program (HSP), launched in 2013. This was Malaysia's first mass free health screening program for employees, offered at private clinics. In countries such as Japan, health screening is already provided as part of social health insurance, but for Malaysia, this represented the first free health screening available to employees in the country. The program screens for NCDs with general screening for males and additional breast and cervical cancer screening for females. Participation is voluntary rather than compulsory. Over 10 years, approximately 900,000 workers have been screened, with 50,000 to 100,000 participating annually. Because of its scale, the program has become part of the national health agenda with simultaneous reporting to the Ministry of Health, providing a snapshot of the health status of employees throughout the country. The expectation is that participating workers will have heightened awareness of their own health.
The second flagship program involves health camps and campaigns, where PERKESO brings medical personnel and screening vehicles directly to factories and community events on a weekly basis, increasing visibility and accessibility about health campaigns.
The third flagship program focuses on media and visibility campaigns through short videos and social media. An important element has been integrating health awareness into the occupational safety and health community, which has traditionally been safety-oriented. PERKESO has succeeded in establishing a Best Workplace Health Promotion category in the National Occupational Safety and Health Award.
Strategy 2: Targeting specific areas in health
The first specific initiative in targeting specific areas of health is the "Activ@Work" campaign, a competition where companies participate using step counting. The workplace with the most active workers is recognized as the most active workplace in the country. Between 300 and 400 companies participate annually, and winners are recognized in a ceremony with media coverage.
The second initiative is the "Say No to Sugar" campaign, launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Human Resources. This program provides consultation, advice, and materials to help companies eliminate sugar from their cafes and events. In some participating workplaces, beverages without sugar are offered at lower prices than sweetened alternatives.
The third initiative is the PERKESO Run ’n’ Ride, an annual sporting event held in conjunction with Labor Day. With approximately 10,000 participants, it is one of the largest family sporting events in the country. The event was designed to shift the focus of Labor Day celebrations from welfare alone to include worker health and family activity.
Strategy 3: Establishing healthy settings – workplace health promotion
The concept of healthy settings is familiar in public health, with healthy villages and healthy cities being common examples. PERKESO chose to apply this concept to workplaces too.
The first component is improving literacy through guidelines. In 2016, PERKESO produced Malaysia's first Healthy Workplace Guideline for the country. Prior to this, many workplaces wanted to make their environments healthier but were unsure what to do. The guideline provides a simple reference document covering eight pillars or areas, covering such areas as healthy diet, exercise, ergonomics, non-smoking, and others. Given that it has now been 10 years since publication, a new edition is planned for 2026.
The second component is the Workplace Health Promotion Program, now in its tenth year. While the guideline provides companies with information, this program involves actively working with companies. An annual grant is given to an NGO to work directly with interested companies. More than 400 companies have enrolled in the program, receiving hands-on guidance as they learn how to become better workplaces that promote health. These companies can then be recognized as workplaces that promote health and may participate in national-level occupational safety and health awards in the workplace health promotion category.
The third component is Mental Health Programs for Workplaces, a new initiative introduced in 2025. These one-day training sessions focus on mental resilience and handling mental health risks at work. In the first year, 81 companies participated across 16 training series. The program uses a train-the-trainer approach so participants can subsequently train others in their workplaces.
Filling the gap: Disability management
The second major gap occurs after recovery from illness, where disability management becomes essential. Large numbers of workers become disabled from illness, and studies consistently show that the longer a person stays off work, the less likely they are to return (Figure 4).
Figure.4
Probability of returning to work following illness
Research published in 2025 indicates the average return-to-work period following work-related injuries is 102 days, and after one year off work, the probability of returning drops to between 10% and 15%. The question becomes: can this period of being unable to work be shortened or eliminated?
Workers who do not return to work tend to enter a vicious spiral. It is therefore essential to provide interventions that enable them to return.
Rather than using the three-by-three strategic plan applied to health promotion, PERKESO established a comprehensive disability management system. The Return to Work program was introduced in 2007 as a flagship initiative. This program operated for seven years before the organization established its first rehabilitation center in 2014.
Subsequently, PERKESO also became responsible for public employment services under coverage of the Employment Insurance System in 2017. This integration proved valuable because it enabled seamless job matching for people disabled by illness who could not return to their previous employment. If workers cannot return to their old jobs, they can be matched with new employment opportunities, making the return-to-work process more seamless.
Over time disability management has become a national agenda and a key performance indicator for the Ministry of Human Resources. PERKESO has hosted international conferences and seminars to build the knowledge base on disability management, and has now incorporated digitalization and artificial intelligence into its approach.
In terms of the current disability management system, PERKESO now screens every person entering the system to determine the level of support needed for managing their disability, whether intensive management or lighter intervention is required. PERKESO operates two of its own rehabilitation centers and partners with more than 200 panel centers where insured persons can receive treatment.
Special attention is given to workers with mental disabilities, working with the Ministry of Health to facilitate their return to work. Professional development programs are offered to companies and organizations, training them on managing employees with disabilities ranging from minor to severe. PERKESO has become the training center for disability management professionals for Southeast Asia, offering certified disability management professional credentials.
The first intensive rehabilitation center, built in 2014, was until recently the largest rehabilitation center in Southeast Asia. It employs advanced technology including cybernetic technology, with Malaysia being one of only four countries (alongside Japan, Germany, and the USA) to use this approach.
A second rehabilitation center, double the size of the first, has now been completed and has become the largest in Southeast Asia. A third rehabilitation center is scheduled for completion in 2027. These facilities support the disability management and return-to-work programs, filling the gap in rehabilitation after illness.
PERKESO has also implemented AI-based screening processes to identify employees and their rehabilitation requirements as soon as they enter the system, enabling appropriate interventions to be applied promptly.
In terms of whether these various initiatives and investments have been successful requires examination of the data, though as with health promotion and health education, success is always the result of combined efforts from multiple parties and cannot be attributed to any single organization.
Looking at the data for invalidity and survivors' pensions, in 2009, 58% of disability pension claims were due to NCDs. By 2024, while the total number of claims increased (from approximately 18,000 in 2009 to approximately 67,000 in 2024, reflecting the growth in coverage from approximately 5 million to 10 million insured persons), the percentage of claims due to NCDs decreased to 39%. This suggests that either NCDs are being better managed or their prevalence is declining, though attributing this improvement to specific interventions requires caution. What can be said is that PERKESO’s efforts have played a part in the combined efforts of all parties addressing the issue of invalidity and survivors’ pensions.
For disability management, the results are more directly measurable. In 2009 when the disability management program started, approximately 3,000 workers were enrolled. By 2022, enrollment had increased to about 15,000 persons. In 2024, following the introduction of AI-based triage technology, enrollment increased dramatically to over 24,000 with the same number of personnel on staff. As of May 2025, approximately 7,816 persons had already been enrolled in the disability management program, with the total expected to reach approximately 37,000 for the year. This means more people are being managed, with a view to facilitating their return to work.
Return-to-work success rates have also improved substantially. Between 2010 and 2015, rates stood at between 55% and 65%. Current return-to-work success rates are between 88% and 92%, representing a significant improvement in getting workers back to employment.
Conclusion: Return on investment
The activities of PERKESO for health promotion and disability management are supported by two investment studies from the International Social Security Association. For prevention and health promotion, every dollar spent returns 2.2 dollars. For return-to-work programs, every dollar spent returns 1.8 dollars. These projections justify the investment in health promotion and disability management, even though PERKESO is not a major player in healthcare coverage for the country.
3) Discussion
Mr. Ohwari noted that in Japan, health screening is mandatory for all companies, and asked about the penetration rate of health checks among Malaysian workers and what strategies PERKESO employs to improve participation.
Dr. Azlan responded that PERKESO had studied the Japanese approach when developing their program but it does not have a mandate to make screening compulsory. When the free health screening program was launched, PERKESO expected high participation given its convenience. However, in the first year, only 20% of eligible employees participated. A similar program later offered by the Ministry of Health to the general population achieved only 10% uptake. This indicated that Malaysians, when not required to do so, do not prioritize health screening even when it is free.
Dr. Azlan explained that PERKESO initially focused on publicizing the screening results to raise awareness, telling workers about the high rates of diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol found among those screened. In 2023, PERKESO expanded the screening parameters to include cancer screening and additional tests, making the package more valuable. That year, uptake doubled, though it did not sustain the same level thereafter. This indicates that to sustain voluntary participation requires continuously introducing new tests and modalities to maintain interest.
PERKESO also offers to bring screening directly to workplaces. However, even when clinics are set up in office lobbies, many workers still do not participate, often citing lack of time as their reason. The fundamental challenge remains raising awareness that screening is necessary, given that 69% of those initially screened had never had a health check before.
Mr. Ohwari asked about the current level of employer engagement in managing employee health and what could be done to improve their involvement.
Dr. Azlan responded that ten years ago, HR personnel from companies approached PERKESO saying they wanted healthier workplaces but did not know what to do. These HR professionals had received instructions from top management but lacked training in workplace health, as this is not typically covered in business education. This prompted PERKESO to develop simple guidelines that companies could follow.
Simple changes to workplace customs, included suggestions of offering water and nuts in business meetings, instead of heavy meals. Similarly, coffee was traditionally served pre-sweetened; so the PERKESO guidelines recommended separating sugar so individuals could choose. Other simple campaigns encouraged using stairs for two floors rather than elevators. These small changes could be implemented by HR departments without specialized training.
Beyond guidelines, PERKESO established a consultation program to work directly with companies. They also collaborated with the Ministry of Health to reach more companies and introduced a workplace health promotion category in the national safety and health award ceremony to motivate company participation.
Dr. Hoe agreed that Malaysians love their food and that changing food culture is challenging. He suggested that promoting healthy habits should begin in schools, though he acknowledged that school food in Malaysia is also not particularly healthy.
Mr. Ohwari explained that Japan is developing health data analytics approaches that integrate health data with working conditions, stratify employee risk levels, design targeted interventions for high-risk populations, and evaluate outcomes through PDCA cycles. He asked whether Malaysia has similar data systems or plans.
Dr. Hoe responded that the Ministry of Health is working on data integration through a health informatics system developed during COVID-19. However, for company-level data, there are limitations: data collected by doctors cannot be accessed by HR departments due to medical-legal issues.
Dr. Azlan acknowledged that PERKESO’s current approach is more of an overarching campaign rather than tailored interventions for individual companies. Part of this is due to incomplete data access. However, after ten years of running programs, PERKESO has accumulated substantial data and is exploring collaboration with the National Institute of Health to combine datasets and potentially target specific areas or companies. He noted that PERKESO has claims data, health screening data, accident data, and worker demographic data, but integrating these to predict which companies may face health problems remains a challenge.
Mr. Ohwari observed that in Japan, both government and private sector companies, including ICT and data companies, are working to integrate health screening data, claims data, medical records, and working style data such as absenteeism and presenteeism. These initiatives are just beginning in Japan, and he suggested Malaysia could move in that direction, with potential for collaboration between the two countries.
Dr. Azlan agreed that this was a valuable proposition. His presentation had focused on population-based interventions, but it may now be time for more targeted approaches with measurable returns on investment. After ten years of operating as a national health screening provider, PERKESO has the data, facilities, and computing power to pursue precision public health approaches.
Dr. Hoe concurred that precision public health is important. The academic community is examining how to move beyond treating all organizations similarly to more focused interventions. While the computing power exists and ideas are developing, execution remains challenging, and many proposed solutions have not been proven effective.
A student asked about the key new elements or priorities planned for the 2026 update of the Healthy Workplace Guideline.
Dr. Azlan responded that the most important update will address mental health. The original guideline touched on mental health, but it was not the main focus at that time, which concentrated more on NCD risk factors. In recent years, issues around stress, depression, and anxiety have become more prominent and require deeper attention.
Dr. Azlan noted that the knowledge base for NCDs is well-established, as the causes, risk factors, and appropriate interventions are known. The original NCD-related guidance from ten years ago remains relevant. However, mental health represents a new context that needs to be addressed. The update will also establish new partnerships, as some organizations listed in the original guideline no longer exist and collaboration with new entities, including the education branch of the Ministry of Health, is needed.
Dr. Hoe added that the psychosocial safety climate is a main research focus for students at university, examining how workplace psychosocial factors affect workers. He emphasized that workplace health ultimately connects to productivity, and workers who are happy at work can better handle other challenges.
A student asked whether PERKESO tracks long-term trajectories after workers return to work, including whether they return to the same job role or shift to lower-paying positions.
Dr. Azlan confirmed that PERKESO does track outcomes, though the definition of “long-term” varies. There are five possible return-to-work outcomes: same job with same employer, different job with same employer, same job with different employer, different job with different employer, or self-employment.
Workers who return to work are not discharged from the disability management program until they have held their job for at least six months. If they cannot maintain the position, they re-enter the return-to-work program, moving to employment support. Because PERKESO also serves as the public employment services provider, they can identify vacancies and provide training or retraining as needed. Workers are only discharged from disability management once they demonstrate job retention.
A student asked about barriers for migrant workers in accessing social security protection.
Dr. Azlan clarified that he could only address legal migrant workers, as illegal workers fall outside the system. Malaysia has more than 2.2 million legal migrant workers who receive equal coverage for employment injury under social security. If injured, they receive the same benefits as local workers.
However, migrant workers do not receive the return-to-work program. Under Malaysian immigration law, if a migrant worker cannot perform the job for which they were hired, they must be repatriated. PERKESO assists with rehabilitation until recovery, but must comply with immigration requirements. If a worker cannot return to their original job, they are sent back to their home country. For employment injury recovery and social security benefits, however, treatment is equal to that of local workers.
4) Assignment
Students were given the following assignment:
Personal Reflection – Your Field and Worker Health
Reflect on how the concepts from the lecture about investing in worker health and managing disability can be applied in your own academic or professional field. Identify at least one issue or scenario in your field (whether it’s public policy, business, medicine, law, education, social science, or another area) where improving workplace health or supporting employees’ well-being is important. Explain how you, in your future role, might address that issue using principles from workplace health promotion or disability management discussed in the lecture. In your reflection, consider whether collaboration with other disciplines or sectors could enhance your approach and outcome.
Anticipating Future Challenges
The lecture focused on current approaches to workplace health promotion and disability management, but the landscape of work is continuously changing. Identify one emerging trend or future challenge that you believe will impact workplace health and disability management – for example, the rise of remote and gig-economy work, an aging workforce, or advances in technology (like AI) affecting jobs. Discuss why this trend could create new opportunities and/or difficulties for promoting worker health and managing disability in the future. How should social security systems or organizations adapt their strategies in response? Propose one forward-looking idea or policy that could help ensure healthy, inclusive workplaces in light of this future development.
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