KEWARTAWANAN
Stimulus Packages During Covid-19:
IS IT SUFFICIENT?
- Amer Hatta Shamsudin
Although it is a wise
move to extend the
movement control
order (MCO) to keep
everyone safe, it is still undeniable
that the pandemic will affect this
whole nation if there are no efforts
taken from the government to revive
the economy.
Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyddin Yassin on 27th of
March has announced an economic
stimulus package known as Pakej
Prihatin or caring package valued at
RM250 billion that will benefit all
Malaysians.
From the amount, RM128
billion is to be used to protect the
welfare of the people while the
other RM100 billion is to be used to
support businesses including small
and medium enterprises.
An allocation of RM130 million
has also been announced and will
be distributed equally to all states
regardless of which political party
is heading it as a mean to help tackle
the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government has created
a National Caring Aid (Bantuan
Prihatin Nasional) involving a oneoff
cash payment of RM10 billion
which will be given to the B40
and M40 community, including
private workers, farmers, and
fishermen. This includes RM1,600
to four million households earning
RM4,000 and below; RM1,000 for
households earning RM4,000 above;
RM800 for single Malaysians aged
21 and above earning RM2,000 and
below; RM500 for single Malaysians
aged 21 and above earning between
RM2,000 and RM4,000.
The government together
with TNB will add an allocation
of RM530 million for discounts
between 15 per cent and 50 per
cent for electricity usage up to a
maximum of 600kW a month for
the next six months from the April
bill. There is an exemption of
rental payment for PPR and public
housing for six months as well. The
Insurance and Takaful companies
will set an RM8 million fund to bear
Covid-190 screening test costs of up
to RM300 each for policy holders.
In addition, the government
also will provide a one-off RM500
for 120,000 e-hailing drivers
nationwide with an allocation of
SASARAN EDISI 82 77
RM60 million. This is in addition to
the RM600 one-off aid announced
for taxi drivers that was announced
in the previous stimulus package.
Apart from all the aid that have
been issued by the government,
experts worry whether the National
Caring Aid to B40 and M40 group
is sufficient for them to survive
throughout MCO period. This is
because during the first phase of
MCO, there were many locals that
have been arrested for breaking the
rules mainly because they needed to
work in order to survive.
Now, the MCO have been
extended to the fourth phase which
is until 12 May 2020 in order to
ensure that this country is free from
the virus and people can live their
life as per usual. However, many
realise that we are far from getting
back to normal.
New positive cases may be
decreasing for this whole week with
recorded cases to be below than
100 per day. However, we need to
realise that our testing capacity is
still low compared to Singapore and
South Korea.
The extension of MCO is the