KUALA LUMPUR – The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) is of the view that the loan repayment moratorium for civil servants should be relooked in the context of households and not as individuals without dependents.
Its president Adnan Mat said Cuepacs acknowledged that if seen from the aspect of an individual, civil servants are not affected in terms of income.
However, in the context of households, almost 50% of civil servants’ spouses are not working in the government sector and have been affected by the pandemic.
“Thus it is not wrong for Cuepacs to raise their voices as they are affected when their spouses cannot trade, take pay cuts or are even retrenched. Apart from that, many an assistance channelled by the government is seen from the direct impact on the household, not as individuals,” he said.
He was commenting on a former minister who questioned the grounds of Cuepacs’ application in urging the government through the Public Sector Home Financing Board (LPPSA) for a moratorium on housing loan repayments as offered by various private banks.
Adnan said most civil servants applied for LPPSA loans by submitting the couple’s joint income to enable loan approval.
“If LPPSA allowed a moratorium on loan repayment, those involved will have more disposable income to plan their finances, as well as to tide their families through this period,” he said. – Bernama, July 4, 2021
