Minister of Human Resources Sim Chee Keong stated that the government intends to shorten the issuance time of hospital guarantee letters from the Social Insurance Agency (Perkeso) from the current 24 hours to just 1 hour, so that employees injured at work who require hospitalization can quickly obtain medical services!
Sim said: "In the past, the Social Insurance Agency needed 3 days to issue a hospital guarantee letter to the hospital. To the government, this may have seemed efficient, but I told them that employees now are facing hospitalization; we must act quickly, as this might be a matter of life and death."
"So last year, through the 'Ministry of Human Resources Reengineering Project', we reduced the original 3-day timeframe to 1 day, but we are not satisfied with this. This year, we hope to further reduce it from 24 hours to just 1 hour—so in only 1 hour, you can obtain a guarantee letter for work-related hospitalization!"
The Minister made this announcement at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today (the 3rd), during a seminar at the '2025 World Social Security Forum', addressing ministers and guests from various countries on this new measure.
In addition, Sim pointed out that three dialysis centers under the Social Insurance Agency are already prepared to begin service, offering affordable dialysis treatments at about RM50 to RM60 per session for employees who need it. The application period for dialysis services has similarly been reduced from 40 days to 7 days.
"We are not just helping the Ministry of Health to strengthen public health facilities but also providing insured employees with more medical access. Through continuous service improvements, we are able to reduce work injury compensation cases."
At today's forum, chaired by International Social Security Association President Datuk Seri Mohd Azman, Sim and labor ministers from three countries—India's Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh, Paraguay's Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Security Monica, and Senegal's Minister of Public Service and Labour Oliver—shared the stage to discuss the social security challenges their respective countries face.