Budget 2023: RM500, RM1,000 aid given to job seekers

KUALA LUMPUR - To ease the burden of job seekers, the government through the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) will provide RM500 job seekers who got a job outside the state of residence.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the RM1,000 mobility assistance would be given to workers who migrate long distances from Sabah or Sarawak to the Peninsula and vice versa.

He said this when he tabled the Budget 2023 at the Parliament today.

The budget themed Strengthening Recovery and Facilitating Reforms towards Sustainability of Economic Resilience and Wellbeing of Keluarga Malaysia had four core focuses which were wellbeing of the people, business continuity, economic prosperity and efficiency of government services.

Tengku Zafrul stated since the Covid-19 pandemic, the question of jobs was still the main focus of the government.

"In 2022, multiple initiatives under the JaminKerja Keluarga Malaysia initiative (Family Job Guarantee initiative) successfully prepare job opportunities and skill training for over 310,000 people as of now.

"We reached the full use stages, however the focus would be given to ensure the opportunities for specific groups in the government," he said.

Tengku Zafrul said next year the government would continue the employment incentives under Socso to encourage employers to prepare job opportunities for Malaysians who were from the unemployed groups such as the People with Disabilities (PwD), Orang Asli ex-convicts and women to return to work.

"For this employment incentives between RM600 to RM750 a month would be paid for three months to the employers.

"The incentive would be prepared for the veterans as well as employers and private employment agencies that replaced foreign workers with local workers," Tengku Zafrul said.

He said under the Socso Employment Incentive, RM150 million was prepared and expected to open job opportunities to over 70,000 job searchers.