KUCHING, Feb 11 – The Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) spent RM729 million on social security benefit payments as well as treatment for workers involved in accidents last year.

Socso chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said interim statistics showed that 79,676 workers’ accident cases were reported to Socso last year, of which 47.9 per cent were road mishaps while going to and returning from work, compared to 72,631 cases in 2018.

“The percentage of deaths in road crashes is higher than that in the work place, about 75 per cent or about seven out of 10 workers killed in mishaps were due to road accidents.

‘‘A total 3,630 mishaps including 1,131 road crashes while on the way to work with 85 deaths took place in Sarawak last year,’’ he said in his speech when closing a road safety awareness campaign programme at the Kuching Selatan City Council (MBKS) here.

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Meanwhile, Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said road users’ poor attitude was one of the causes of road accidents with some resulting in deaths.

“Despite various awareness and safety campaigns and operations carried out by the police and the relevant agencies, the number of accidents remains at an alarming level.

‘‘The statistics shows that there were 1,117 crashes involving serious injuries while going to and returning from work in Malaysia last year, or an increase of 38 cases, compared to 1,079 cases in 2018,’’ he added. — Bernama

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