About 60,000 fishermen throughout Malaysia who receive cost of living allowances would be protected under an insurance scheme said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum.

He said the insurance scheme for fishermen would cover all categories of fishermen and beneficial to fishermen who are constantly exposed to risks at sea.

“The premium of RM100 a year will be deducted from the cost of living allowance based on deductions of RM8 or RM9 a month.

“They will be paid RM100,000 if involved in a fatal accident at sea and RM50,000 if a similar accident occurred on land,” he told reporters after meeting fishermen in Nenasi here today.

Mohd Johari would also make it compulsory for all fishermen in the country to be protected by insurance because if anything happened to fishermen while in the sea, their families would suffer a great deal of hardship.

2012 BERNAMA