KUALA LUMPUR – The application, approval and pay-out periods for those under Category 2 of the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) i-Sinar scheme are too time-consuming, said former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Category 2 refers to those who are still employed but suffered a more than 30% reduction in earnings after March 1.
“Is it reasonable for those who are struggling to wait for three months, till the end of February before getting help when they have been yearning for it since October, which was five months ago?” he asked in a Facebook post today.
Najib also brought up the lengthy process that those under Category 2 have to go through if they sign up for the i-Sinar scheme.
“They have to wait until January 11 to apply with all sorts of documents. Then, (they) must wait for another two to three weeks to be informed by EPF if they are eligible or not.
“And if they are eligible, the pay-out will only be made before the end of next month, which will be in late February.”
The i-Sinar scheme is open to eight million EPF members.
Category 1 of the scheme involves those who are working in formal and gig sectors, self-employed, lost their jobs, housewives or those who are given unpaid leave notice and have not contributed to their EPF for at least two consecutive months after March.
Applicants in Category 1 can start applying online on December 21, with payment to eligible members to be made in mid-January. – The Vibes, December 3, 2020
