UMNO has today urged Putrajaya to kickstart a Jobs Guarantee Scheme or a Job Bank to provide and secure employment for the multitude of Malaysians who have gone unemployed due to the pandemic crisis.
“With this, the Government need not rely on the private sector alone to create jobs. In the short and mid-terms, Putrajaya must be hands-on in providing jobs.
“Plus, the Government should also do away with red tapes hampering business revival. We can start by getting all our local councils to streamline their regulations to ease economic rejuvenation,” its information chief Shahril Hamdan said, in a Facebook post.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the Government would provide more aid to the people apart from the COVID-19 Special Aid (BKC).
“And I hope the BKC is delivered promptly to the needy without any delay,” the Bera MP reportedly said.
While lauding the BKC to help the needy, Shahril reminded the Government that direct cash aid is only a temporary measure to help the people and would not be sustainable in the long-run.
To provide long-term solution, he noted that the Government must come up with strategies to strengthen the economy at the macro level.
Massive unemployment
“The people’s economy must also be supported. How long can we expect the people to depend on direct cash aid and their funds from the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF)?
“Please be reminded that about 4.5 million EPF contributors have less than RM5,000 in their accounts. After the i-Citra programme, I won’t be surprised if many of them are left with nothing in their pension fund,” Shahril stressed.
The Umno leader added that currently, there are about 750,000 unemployed, with many of them being youngsters.
“Though they accept the given aid, what they really want is employment and business opportunities. Our youths are committed and fired up to support their families through their own effort.
“That is why I support the Government’s decision to reopen safe economic sectors. Of course, we must detailing it out and it is fair we start treating COVID-19 as an endemic,” Shahril concluded. – Sept 7, 2021.
