Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohammed Azman
President of the International Social Security Association (ISSA)
Dr Azman, the 17th President of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), took office for the term 2023–2025 upon the ISSA Elections during the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) 2022 in Marrakech. Morocco. As a social security practitioner, he aspires to ensure to make this world a better place where no one is left behind.
He started his career in 1993 as a young medical doctor, and in 2001 Dr Azman became the first medical doctor employed by the Social Security Organisation (Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial – PERKESO) of Malaysia. He ascended the corporate ladder when he was promoted to Senior General Manager of Operations in 2007, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) in 2011, and finally as CEO of PERKESO in 2015.
Under his leadership, Dr Azman initiated various innovations and reforms to enhance PERKESO’s social security protection, which includes the extension of PERKESO’s coverage from formal workers to other working populations, such as government contract workers, self-employed workers, foreign workers, domestic workers, and recently housewives. He was also instrumental in the introduction of the Employment Insurance System in Malaysia, which enabled strong linkages between social security and labour market interventions for vulnerable people.
Before being elected as ISSA President, he was an active member of the ISSA Bureau and Chairperson of the ISSA Technical Commission on Organization, Management, and Innovation for six years. He also held various other positions internationally, such as the President of the Asia Workers’ Compensation Association (AWCA), and a Board Member for International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) based in the United States.
Dr Azman grew up in the state of Pahang, Malaysia and pursued his medical degree at the University of Malaya from 1987 to 1992 and specialized in Occupational Medicine at Royal College of Physicians, Ireland in 1997. He was conferred with a Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland in 2011. Currently, Dr Azman is also an Adjunct Professor at two Malaysian universities: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). His leadership, capability, and contributions are recognized locally and internationally, and in 2020, Dr Azman became the first Malaysian to receive the Frances Perkins Award from the IAIABC.
The International Social Security Association (ISSA) is the world's leading international organization for social security institutions, government departments and agencies. The ISSA promotes excellence in social security administration through professional guidelines, expert knowledge, services and support to enable its members to develop dynamic social security systems and policy throughout the world. Founded in 1927 under the auspices of the International Labour Organization, the ISSA counts more than 320 member organizations in over 160 countries
International Social Security Association
4 route des Morillons Case postale 1
CH-1211 Geneva 22
T: +41 22 799 66 17
F: +41 22 799 85 09
E:
www.issa.int