KUALA LUMPUR - Human Resources Minister, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said the Skim Pengembara insurance scheme for Malaysians travelling daily to work in Singapore is expected to be ready by the second quarter of this year.

He said the proposal, also known as the Traveller Scheme, will soon be presented to the Cabinet for consideration.

The scheme aims to provide protection for nearly 400,000 Malaysians who cross the border from Johor to Singapore every day for work.

“Even if they work overseas, they are still Malaysians, so if anything happens to them, who will take care of their families?

“This is why this scheme is important as it is part of the government’s effort to ensure no one is left behind,” he said in a press conference after a Human Resources Ministry Buka Puasa event on Wednesday.

Ramanan also said he plans to propose cost-saving measures for the ministry and the private sector at a special Cabinet meeting on Friday.

One of the proposals being studied is the possible implementation of work from home arrangements for ministry staff and private sector employees.

“We have seen what Thailand has done, and we are currently conducting studies on this, so once the study is completed, I will receive a briefing tomorrow from the deputy secretaries-general and the divisions involved.

“I will then present the findings to the special Cabinet meeting on Friday.

“If we ourselves do not practise savings but ask the people to do so, that would not be fair. Therefore, we too must be prepared, and we must lead the people by example,” Ramanan added.

The proposals come as concerns grow that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may continue and worsen global economic conditions as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed by Iran.