KUALA LUMPUR – With continued uncertainty over the movement control order (MCO) period, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a monthly aid of RM1,500 to be given to all poor families for as long as the restrictions are in place.
He said this should be the bare minimum in terms of cash aid handed out by the government, considering the grave impact the MCO is having on the people.
Anwar added that this assistance should not be limited to only those in the B40 group, but must cover 60% of households with the lowest income, noting that many from the M40 group have slipped into this category.
“As long as the MCO and restrictions are in place, I would like to suggest that all B60 families be given RM1,500 a month, not a one-off. If the government thinks this is too much, then there will be problems for the country,” he said in a virtual press conference today.
Anwar said although the amount may be a burden to the government, it is responsible to ensure every citizen is able to put food on their table.
In addition to the cash aid, the PKR president urged the government to provide greater flexibility in all forms of loan repayments and rentals to ensure any cash in hand can be prioritised in purchasing daily necessities.
On Monday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced cash aid for the hardcore poor, lower income, and middle income groups under the Pemulih stimulus package.
However, this is limited to RM1,300 for hardcore poor household (given across three months), RM800 for the B40 group (across two months), and RM250 for M40 group (given in August).
Muhyiddin also announced a six-month loan moratorium for all individual borrowers, as well as the i-Citra initiative under the Employees Provident Fund, allowing contributors to withdraw RM5,000 over five months.
Anwar said the aid proposals he made are necessary, especially as the strict lockdown, which began on June 1, has failed to reduce Covid-19 cases, forcing most sectors of the economy to remain shut.
This, he said, has resulted in those in the lower income group to suffer, as the majority are prevented from going to work or doing business due to MCO restrictions.
“What we are worried about is that Covid-19 may be endemic, which requires a new approach in dealing. But the government remains stubborn in enforcing the same measures month after month.
“Take the lockdown, for example. It has been a month since implementation, but there is no improvement in the number of cases. MCO without basing on granular data will be ineffective, and will only torture the rakyat.”
Anwar said the burden faced by the people is only aggravated by inflation over the past few months.
“People are losing jobs and income, yet prices of basic goods, including chicken, fish and vegetables, are spiralling.”
Citing Statistics Department data, he said the inflation rate in the country rose by 0.1% in February, 1.7% in March before peaking at 4.7% in April. The rate dropped to 4.4% in May. – The Vibes, June 30, 2021
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