PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pix) today announced a RM250 billion stimulus package that promises to ensure that everyone from the M40 to the poor and needy will receive monetary assistance from the government.
The Prihatin stimulus package consists of RM128 billion for the people’s welfare, RM100 billion to support businesses including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), RM2 billion to strengthen the country’s economy, in addition to the RM20 billion stimulus package that was announced previously.
For starters, the government will prepare a Bantuan Prihatin Nasional, which is giving away cash in a one-off manner and channel it to the M40 and below. These include private sector workers, Felda workers, farmers, fishermen and petty traders.
“RM1600 will be given to almost 4 million household that has a monthly income of RM4000 and below. RM1000 will be paid on April and RM600 in May,“ he said at a live television address today.
In addition to that, RM1000 will be given to 1.1 million households that has a monthly income of more than RM4000 to RM8000. RM500 will be paid on April and RM500 will be paid in May.
For individuals who are single, RM800 will be given to 3 million aged 21 and above with a monthly income of RM2000 and below. RM500 will be paid on April and RM300 will be paid in May, while RM500 will be given to those aged 21 and above with a monthly income of more than RM2000 to RM4000, whereby RM250 will be paid in April and RM250 will be paid in May.
Other cash aid include:
>> RM200 per month for police, military, customs, immigration and Rela personnel involved in the movement control order (MCO) beginning April 1 until the Covid-19 pandemic ends.
>> One-off payment of RM200 in May for students at higher education institutions.
>> RM25 million for food and shelter for senior citizens, disabled, and Orang Asli, in cooperation with NGOs.
>> Patients under MySalam can claim RM50 per day for 14 days. This can also apply to those who are quarantined because of Covid-19.
>> Special allowance for healthcare staff up from RM400 to RM600/month from 1 April until end of the pandemic.0
>> Security frontliners (police, army customs, civil defence & Rela) to get RM200/month from April until pandemic ends.
>> Civil servants Gred 56 and below, including contract workers, and pensioners get RM500 in April
>> One off payment of RM500 to some 120,000 e-hailing drivers beginning April 1.
Besides that, the government also gave a series of aid in other forms like:
>> Six-month moratorium on PTPTN and PTPK payments.
>> Six-month rent exemption for PPR residents and public housing.
>> Permission to withdraw a maximum of RM1,500 from Account B of Private Retirement Scheme without tax penalty from April to December.
>> Govt will continue all projects allocated in Budget 2020, including ECRL, MRT2 and the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) in line with its focus to ensure sustainable economic development.
>> Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) levy exempted for all sectors for six months starting April 2020.
>> Federal government premises such as school canteens, nurseries, cafeteria and convenience stores exempted from rent for six months.
>> Insurance and takaful companies will set a RM8mil fund to bear Covid-19 screening test costs of up to RM300 each for policyholders
-Free Internet from April onwards until the end of Movement Control Order (MCO)
>> Government together with TNB will add an allocation of RM530mil for discounts between 15% and 50% for electricity usage up to a maximum of 600kW a month for six months from the April bill.
>> A RM5.9 billion salary subsidy programme to prevent loss of jobs and earnings, under which the government will set aside an RM600 monthly pay, for three months, for all workers earning below RM4,000.
