KUCHING: Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) Kuching branch chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok suggested that the government should assist the economy and businesses as in the initial MCO in March last year in light of a reimplementation.
Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said that assistance should include a further six months of wage subsidies for all sectors, carpet moratorium for all bank loans for another six months, and Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal of up to RM10,000 without any condition from Account 1.
“The government should also reduce and delay income tax collection and continue with the reduced utilities rates. Further cash assistance is also much appreciated for the low-income and middle-income groups in this very low economic period,” he said when contacted today.
“Business cashflow and employment would be affected as all other economic sectors would not be allowed to operate at full capacity,” he said while adding that the balance between life and livelihood must be considered in this latest MCO.
Due to the rising number of Covid-19 infections, Sim said the federal government did not have much of a choice but to declare MCO in major states, and the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) declaring CMCO in Kuching, Sibu, and Miri zones here.
“The number of infections indicates that we will have an exponential rise of infections and our health system will be overwhelmed very soon. We are also in the landas (monsoon) season and several areas are facing floods, putting more strain on our frontliners in helping flood victims,” he said.
Commenting on the state of emergency which was declared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Sim denoted that the seven month state of emergency is to help country to concentrate in its efforts to fight the pandemic and help the flood victims without any political instability.
“Hopefully most politicking will also stop during this period as no general or state elections will be held during this time,” said Sim.
He said the government was making the right move with several lockdowns implemented since March last year in efforts to flatten the curve and reduce infections and deaths.
“With the lockdown and state of emergency, we can focus on fighting the pandemic and to survive through this trying time.
“With the government’s good experience in successfully handling the several lockdowns against this invisible enemy until now, we are confident that it will again extend all the assistance promptly for all Malaysians to pull through this very dark period of unprecedented challenge,” he said.
He hoped that if the people could be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the third quarter of this year, then the nation could be restored towards the old norm by the end of the year.
