Things You Need To Know About Skim Lindung 24 Jam
Your payroll software does not ask permission before adding a new deduction line. One month it is not there. The next, it is, quietly sitting under SOCSO with a new name attached.
If that is how you first encountered Skim Lindung 24 Jam, you are not behind. It is simply a scheme that did not exist until recently.
Here is the direct answer. Skim Lindung 24 Jam, officially PERKESO’s Non-Employment Injury Scheme (Skim Lindung 24 Jam), became mandatory for every foreign worker in Malaysia on 1 June 2026.
It stays mandatory for foreign workers even though a July 2026 Cabinet decision made it optional for local employees. It is a payroll deduction, not something you purchase, and it does not replace your existing SPIKPA/FWHS obligation.
If a recent headline about “optional contributions” left you unsure whether that applies to your factory, it does not. Here is exactly why, what it costs, and what to do about your separate SPIKPA/FWHS coverage.
Key Takeaways
- Mandatory status: Skim Lindung 24 Jam is mandatory for every foreign worker in Malaysia, with no opt-out, even though it became voluntary for local employees after a July 2026 Cabinet decision.
- Cost to the business: RM0 direct cost. The contribution is deducted entirely from the worker’s wages, starting at 0.75% and phasing to 1.25% by 2031, capped at a RM6,000 wage ceiling.
- SPIKPA/FWHS obligation: Unchanged. Skim Lindung 24 Jam does not replace or reduce it. Both remain independently mandatory.
- Decision rule: If your foreign worker is registered under SOCSO Act 4, the deduction applies automatically. No new registration is needed for existing workers.
- Biggest mistake to avoid: Assuming the new deduction makes your existing SPIKPA/FWHS premium redundant. It does not, because the two schemes cover fundamentally different situations.
What Is Skim Lindung 24 Jam?
Source: Magnific
Skim Lindung 24 Jam, officially the Non-Employment Injury Scheme, is a PERKESO scheme under the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969 (Act 4). It provides round-the-clock protection for accidents unrelated to work, effective 1 June 2026 under Act A1788.
The scheme closes a real gap: PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme only ever covered work accidents, so a fall at home or an off-duty traffic accident had no SOCSO coverage before this.
It’s mandatory, not something you choose to buy, and runs through the same Act 4 registration already used for every foreign worker. No separate qualification, no age limit, only active employment status.
How It Differs From the Employment Injury Scheme
| Element | Employment Injury Scheme | Skim Lindung 24 Jam |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Accidents at work | Accidents unrelated to work, anywhere in Malaysia |
| Funded by | Employer (1.25%) | Employee (0.75%, phasing to 1.25% by 2031) |
| Effective | Long-standing | 1 June 2026 |
| Both apply to the same accident? | No | No |
Skim Lindung 24 Jam is separate from your annual FOMEMA screening requirement, which checks fitness to work rather than off-duty accident risk.
For a quick visual walkthrough (in Bahasa Malaysia), watch PERKESO’s explainer below:
Is Skim Lindung 24 Jam Mandatory for Foreign Workers?
Yes, fully, with no opt-out. Following a Cabinet decision on 8 to 9 July 2026, contributions became voluntary only for local Malaysian employees.
Foreign workers: Mandatory, no opt-out. Local employees: Voluntary, opt-out window 14 Jul to 31 Aug 2026.
The headlines genuinely say “optional now,” so the confusion is fair. But Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan confirmed the decision covers Malaysian employees only, corroborated by Malay Mail and Free Malaysia Today. Foreign worker contributions continue under existing legal provisions, no exceptions.
There’s a real compliance stake too: accidents after 15 July 2026 are excluded without proof of contribution for that month. Existing foreign workers don’t need re-registration, only newly hired ones do.
So the deduction stays, at no cost to the business, as the next section shows.
Who Pays for Skim Lindung 24 Jam, and How Much?
The contribution is borne entirely by the employee, deducted from wages at a phased rate. Employers deduct and remit but pay nothing extra for this specific scheme.
Contribution Rate Schedule
The contribution is borne entirely by the employee, deducted from wages at a phased rate. Employers deduct and remit but pay nothing extra for this specific scheme.
| Phase | Rate | Effective Period |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 0.75% | 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2028 |
| Phase 2 | 1.00% | 1 June 2028 to 31 May 2031 |
| Phase 3 | 1.25% | From 1 June 2031 onwards |
All phases apply against monthly wages up to a RM6,000 ceiling, using the Act 4 wage definition, so bonuses and allowances don’t inflate the base.
Source: PERKESO
Who Pays What (Phase 1)
| Contributor | Employment Injury | Lindung 24 Jam | Invalidity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer | 1.25% | Not applicable | 0.5% | 1.75% |
| Employee | Not applicable | 0.75% | 0.5% | 1.25% |
Employers already carry a parallel cost under the Employment Injury Scheme, answering the natural “why doesn’t my company pay for this?” question. Remittance runs through existing SOCSO channels, due by the 15th of the following month.
If you’re still confirming which foreign workers are correctly SOCSO-registered, our guide to employer requirements to hire foreign workers in Malaysia covers the full sequence.
Here’s what your worker is actually protected for.
What Does Skim Lindung 24 Jam Actually Cover?
Source: Magnific
Eight benefit types for eligible non-work accidents: Temporary and Permanent Disablement Benefits, a Medical Benefit (free treatment at PERKESO panel clinics or government hospitals), Constant-Attendance Allowance, rehabilitation, Dependants’ Benefit, a RM3,000 Funeral Benefit, and an Education Benefit.
The Medical Benefit is the part most employers miss, raising the “is my SPIKPA now redundant?” question. Coverage applies to everyday off-duty scenarios: falls at home, festive travel, recreational sports, as long as it isn’t paid work.
Having SPIKPA doesn’t disqualify a worker either; PERKESO’s own guidance confirms benefits apply regardless of private insurance.
What's Excluded
- Accidents already certified as Employment Injury
- Fraudulent, staged, or criminal accidents; self-inflicted injuries
- Foreign workers who misuse a valid pass or permit issued by the Director General of
- Immigration, or breach entry conditions under the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155)
- Cases already covered under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (Act 789) or the Domestic Scheme (Act 838)
- Unpaid-leave periods with no contribution made
- Accidents outside Malaysia, or before 1 June 2026
- Any non-accident illness, including diabetes, fever, high blood pressure, and other occupational disease
That raises the obvious next question: does this replace SPIKPA?
Does Skim Lindung 24 Jam Replace Your SPIKPA/FWHS Insurance?
No. It does not replace or reduce your SPIKPA/FWHS obligation.
Myth: A new mandatory PERKESO deduction covering medical treatment means my existing SPIKPA insurance is redundant.
Reality: Lindung 24 Jam only covers non-work accidents with limited government-facility treatment. SPIKPA covers illness and injury generally, up to RM20,000 a year, and PERKESO confirms the two coexist without disqualifying each other.
Lindung 24 Jam asks “was this a non-work accident?” SPIKPA/FWHS asks, “Does this worker need hospitalization or surgery, for any illness or injury?” A worker hospitalized for a non-accident illness has no Lindung 24 Jam claim, so SPIKPA is the only scheme that responds to illness.
One question genuinely isn’t documented anywhere: if an off-duty accident needs hospitalization, both schemes’ medical benefits could apply, and PERKESO’s own page doesn’t specify which is billed first. Confirm via that page or your SPIKPA insurer for a specific case.
For a deeper breakdown of your full compliance stack, see our guide to FWHS/SPIKPA vs FWIG.
Compliance Matrix: Which Scheme Responds, and to What
| Scenario | Skim Lindung 24 Jam | SPIKPA/FWHS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work accident | Not applicable | May apply if hospitalization is needed | Employment Injury covers the accident itself |
| Off-duty accident | Applies: cash + Medical Benefit | Applies: up to RM20,000/year | Open question: billing order isn’t documented anywhere |
| Non-accident illness | Not applicable | Applies | SPIKPA is the only scheme that responds |
| Death (non-work accident) | Dependants’ + RM3,000 Funeral Benefit | Not applicable, explicit exclusion | Complementary |
| TPD (non-work accident) | Disablement Benefit may apply | Not applicable, explicit exclusion | Complementary |
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What Employers of Foreign Workers Must Do Now
Source: Magnific
For most employers, this requires no new action beyond correct payroll deduction: confirm existing foreign workers are automatically covered, deduct the applicable rate, and remit on time.
Employer Action Checklist
| Action | Applies To |
|---|---|
| Confirm automatic coverage | Existing Act 4-registered workers |
| Register newly hired workers | Workers hired after 1 June 2026 |
| Deduct 0.75% (up to RM6,000 ceiling) | All foreign workers |
| Remit contribution | All foreign workers |
| Confirm SPIKPA/FWHS is current | All foreign workers, separate obligation |
PERKESO’s six-month grace period covers Lindung 24 Jam-specific penalties only, not other obligations. Non-compliance can, if convicted, mean a fine of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
If you’re renewing SPIKPA/FWHS as part of this checklist, our guide on how to claim foreign worker insurance is worth bookmarking.
A few more specific questions come up often.
Why eInsurans
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- 99.9% uptime, so renewals don’t stall during peak permit season
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Conclusion
Skim Lindung 24 Jam is mandatory for every foreign worker, no opt-out, and costs your business nothing directly since the 0.75% contribution comes entirely from wages. It does not touch your SPIKPA/FWHS obligation.
Lindung 24 Jam covers non-work accidents; SPIKPA covers hospitalisation and surgical treatment generally, up to RM20,000 a year. The deduction is automatic if your worker is registered under Act 4. Deduct correctly, remit on time, and keep SPIKPA/FWHS current alongside it.
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