Anwar on stimulus package: What happens when the borrowed money runs out?

CORONAVIRUS | PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has cautioned that the government is currently relying on borrowed funds for its new people-centric economic stimulus (Prihatin) package and questioned what will happen once the money runs out.

He, however, also stressed that he does support initiatives in the Prihatin package that helps the people, especially those in the B40 income group.

He claimed that around RM100 billion of the RM250 billion injected into the stimulus package comes from bank loans, another RM40 billion from the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), some RM60 billion from the Human Resources Fund and RM50 billion from Danajamin Nasional Bhd which is partly owned by Ministry of Finance Inc (MOF Inc).

“So if we gather all of that, it is RM250 billion, but we go back to our main question which is the RM22 billion allocated.

“Is it not good? It is good because it touches on the issues of the rakyat. I will continue to support steps which help the rakyat especially those from the B40, but a solution for the economy in the stimulus package must be holistic.

“How do we push the economy, let it move? For two months, we can stay afloat through loans,” Anwar said in a Facebook video which was live-streamed around 5.30pm today.

He also stressed the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia as a decline to SMEs would also affect the country’s productivity and unemployment rate.

Debate in parliament

Anwar also urged for there to be a debate in parliament on the supplementary budget which will be necessary to fund the economic stimulus package meant to combat the sudden Covid-19 pandemic.

“In a country with the parliamentary democracy system, parliament must be called into session and debate (on this).

“We support things which are good. There were good excerpts in the speech last night.

“I support it, but we have to debate it because all elected representatives in parliament are responsible for giving their thoughts on the economy for our future,” he said.

Anwar also cautioned against a sloppy implementation of the stimulus package.

He questioned how much of the money would be stolen by middlemen when channelling these funds to the rakyat.

This is another reason why it is so important to debate this matter in parliament, he stressed.

“Billions of ringgit will disappear because we did not follow a responsible and transparent process.

“That is why I think a debate in parliament is very urgent and should be held immediately,” he said.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the Prihatin package yesterday, on top of the economic stimulus package already announced by then-interim prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 27.

The new Prihatin package is meant partly to mitigate the effects of the movement control order (MCO) which is in effect from March 18 to April 14. - Mkini