Allowing Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributors to withdraw savings from Account 1 and providing a targeted loan moratorium extension are among recommendations submitted by Umno to Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz for Budget 2021.
Four Umno representatives secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, supreme council members Tan Sri Noh Omar and Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir as well as Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki handed in the proposals at the Finance Ministry here, today.
“However, the (withdrawal) amount could be considered by the ministry and the EPF, it does not have to be as high as RM10,000, perhaps lesser,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Currently 740,000 people are unemployed in the country and unemployment rate had risen from about three per cent to 5.4 per cent due to Covid-19, Ahmad said.
Apart from that, Umno also emphasised that people-friendly development programmes throughout the country, especially rural development, should be given priority in the Budget 2021.
Meanwhile, Asyraf Wajdi in his Facebook page listed out 10 main proposals among them fee waiver for public university students and special payment of at least RM500 to parents to lessen their burden ahead of the 2021 school session.
It was also proposed that the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan payment deferment be extended to December 2021 and the terms, conditions, processing of business loans under Tekun Nasional, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, SME Corp or other related agencies, to be less restrictive.
Apart from Umno, Tengku Zafrul is also scheduled to meet with representatives of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), PAS and Pakatan Harapan today. — BERNAMA
