SHAH ALAM – Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributions for athletes under the Podium Programme will help reduce the burden borne by the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) in ensuring their welfare.
Yakeb chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed said EPF contributions are athletes’ future savings for retirement while Socso contributions would help preserve their welfare if they encounter accidents, injuries or other diseases.
“They will indirectly reduce Yakeb’s burden,” he told reporters at the 2023 KTM Football Championship here today, adding that the foundation would still channel assistance to athletes to guarantee their welfare.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh had previously announced the implementation of the contributions effective January next year after it was decided by the National Sports Council’s management board following the passing of a review of the allowance scheme for national athletes.
She said the contributions would be a gamechanger implemented by the government as no other previous programme allowed national athletes to contribute to EPF and Perkeso.
At the event, Noorul Ariffin said it was the best initiative to get former athletes to interact with the public, something that previous badminton and netball championships had done in the past.
“Our hope in Yakeb is that corporations or government agencies will help former athletes integrate with the community,” he said. – December 30, 2023