KUALA LUMPUR:Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today said that he and his friends' support for the 2021 Budget is conditional.
The former prime minister said he wanted the people to be allowed to withdraw RM10,000 from Account 1 of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) on a one-off basis.
Apart from that, the Pekan Member of Parliament said the government must also ensure the extension of the moratorium is extended to the M40 group until June 2021.
"We are not just representatives or spokespersons. We praise the good, we fix the bad, and please amend or repeal the unacceptable ones. Hope the government is open-hearted and takes into account views and suggestions.
“The 2021 Budget has been able to provide for the needs of the people as I explained earlier.
"But based on the expectations of the people, it needs to be added and improved so that the people's acceptance (of the 2021 Budget) will be more robust and comprehensive," he said when debating the Supply Bill (Budget 2021) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Najib, who is also Finance Minister between 2008 and 2018, said he saw the country's growth at the lowest level in the last ten years and dividend payments to the people were also at a sluggish rate.
For that reason, he is of the view that the withdrawal of RM10,000 from the EPF can not only help the desperate people but will not even affect the calculation of the country's deficit.
“This is what I mean as a bold and extraordinary step or bold and unconventional method in extraordinary circumstances.
“These funds are much needed to supplement the money cycle in the economy. At the moment, we are aware that government’s spending is limited and this move can help people who are desperate and affected,” he added.
Najib said the government's responsibility was not to deny the rights of the people but to focus on efforts to restore and ensure that contributors' savings increase.
He further explained that this can be realised in several ways, including helping the EPF to earn income by providing projects as done before such as Kwasa Land, Battersea in the United Kingdom and 46 per cent ownership of PLUS shares.
Secondly, Najib said the government can also change the contribution structure of employees and employers to a higher rate after COVID-19 (situation) has shown recovery.
And third, he suggested that the government change the dividend payment structure through the multi-tier dividend structure method where the lower savings balance will receive higher dividends.
"With this, the old-age savings of contributors who had to withdraw one-off from account one can be restored in the near future," he explained.
Najib said the RM10,000 withdrawal was very important for those who lost their jobs and wanted to start a new life such as starting a business, buying tools such as motorcycles and so on.
"It is impossible for the new life of the affected people to be started with just a withdrawal of RM500 a month from the account," he added.
On the moratorium, Najib said he agreed with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's debate speech yesterday that bank profits would not be affected if it was extended and expanded to the M40 group.
“Every day I receive many complaints from the people who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. If we look at social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the average is not just from B40, even M40 also suffered a huge impact.
"In this budget, the government has only extended the moratorium to B40, even that is not for everyone. It is as if we have forgotten the M40 group which also received a big impact from the situation we are facing,” he added.
In this regard, Najib said, his support and friends in BNBBC are subject to the two issues raised.
Firdaus Azil
Tue Nov 10 2020
Najib said said that he and his friends' support for the 2021 Budget is conditional.
Malaysia amalkan dasar luar yang seimbang, elak provokatif - Anwar
Malaysia mengamalkan pendekatan dasar luar yang seimbang antara Barat dan Timur, selain mengelakkan sebarang keadaan yang dilihat sebagai provokatif, kata Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Soladiriti Gaza merantasi bangsa dan agama
Break The Siege: Fokus Minggu Depan membincangkan topik Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama susulan penangguhan misi penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza anjuran Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).
Boling padang: Daripada jaguh kampung, Farah Ain kini bergelar jaguh dunia!
Farah Ain berjaya menempatkan dirinya di puncak dunia dengan menggondol pingat emas perseorangan wanita di Kejohanan Boling Padang Dalam Dewan Dunia, Guernsey.
Kekejaman Zionis: Angka kematian meningkat ke lebih 34,000
Sekurang-kurangnya lapan rakyat Palestin terbunuh dan berpuluh-puluh cedera pada petang Jumaat dalam serangan Israel ke atas kem pelarian Nuseirat di tengah Gaza.
Pertumbuhan saksama: Penglibatan negara maju penting
Tengku Zafrul melihat kerjasama dan penglibatan negara maju sebagai aspek penting dalam membantu membawa kemampanan dan pertumbuhan yang seimbang.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH lancar manifesto minggu depan
Calon PH Pang Sock Tao akan melancarkan manifesto sempena PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu minggu depan.
SPRM siasat pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air
Seorang pemimpin kanan di utara tanah air disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).
TH tanggung lebih RM350 juta kos tunai haji tahun ini
Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) menanggung lebih RM350 juta membabitkan kos langsung dan tidak langsung tunai haji menerusi Bantuan Kewangan Haji pada tahun ini.
Musim haji: Persiap diri, jaga keselamatan dan kesihatan - Sultan Selangor
Sultan Sharafuddin menasihatkan jemaah agar membuat persiapan fizikal, emosi dan ilmu pengetahuan dengan sebaiknya.
Punca 70 peratus pekerja seluruh dunia berdepan penyakit
Perubahan iklim yang semakin ketara menyebabkan 70 peratus pekerja di seluruh dunia terdedah kepada pelbagai bahaya.
Polis Jerman rampas 4 kereta Bugatti Veyron edisi terhad yang dikaitkan dengan 1MDB
Kenderaan berkenaan dikatakan sebahagian daripada siri "Legenda" khas Bugatti Veyron, dengan hanya 18 daripada supercar tersebut dibina dalam enam spesifikasi.
Rumah Najib boleh jadi penjara - Peguam
Rumah bekas Perdana Menteri itu boleh dijadikan sebagai penjara dan tempat tahanan untuk beliau seperti yang termaktub dalam undang-undang.
Kes 1MDB: Najib percaya Blackstone dikawal Arab Saudi, Raja Abdullah - Saksi
Saksi memberitahu Najib percaya bahawa syarikat Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners dikawal oleh kerajaan Arab Saudi dan Raja Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Prosiding Najib julung kali dibuat pada Sabtu
Perbicaraan pertama dibuat pada hujung minggu ini berlangsung tepat jam 8.30 pagi, selepas bekas Perdana Menteri itu dibawa pihak berkuasa dengan menaiki kenderaan dari Jabatan Penjara.
'Kementerian Kewangan tiada rekod surat kelulusan Najib bagi 1MDB ambil alih Tanjong Energy, Genting Sanyen' - Saksi
Dalam siasatan SPRM, Kementerian Kewangan mengesahkan tidak mempunyai rekod ke atas kedua-dua surat tersebut.
Najib diberi peluang jelaskan mengenai dokumen 1MDB ketika disoal siasat - Pegawai SPRM
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Najib diberi peluang untuk menjelaskan secara terperinci mengenai dokumen berkaitan 1MDB, ketika disoal siasat.
Najib tak pernah arah pengurusan 1MDB pindah AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho Low - Saksi
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak pernah mengarahkan mana-mana individu daripada pengurusan 1MDB untuk memindahkan AS$1.03 bilion kepada syarikat Jho low.
1MDB: SPRM ke Riyadh untuk sahkan surat derma RM2.6 bilion - Saksi
Penguasa Kanan SPRM Nur Aida Arifin berkata pihaknya telah pergi ke Istana Riyadh pada 2015 bagi mengadakan pertemuan dengan dua putera Arab Saudi.
1MDB: Najib tak dedah mengenai pertemuan dengan Raja Arab Saudi ketika siasatan - Saksi
Najib tidak memaklumkan kepada SPRM mengenai pertemuan delegasi Malaysia bersama Raja Arab Saudi, Almarhum Raja Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
1MDB: Muhammad Shafee ditegur hakim kerana bersikap 'keterlaluan'
Ketua peguam bela yang mewakili Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ditegur apabila dilihat menyerang kredibiliti pengawai penyiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) ketika perbicaraan.