Yoursay: Oversight needed on how stimulus package is spent

YOURSAY | ‘Every sen should be accounted for and a detailed statement should be presented to the rakyat.’

PM reveals RM250b stimulus package, vows none will be left behind

Quigonbond: It's easy to announce a huge stimulus plan. If retaining confidence is the issue, this ought to do it. But some of the ideas are really hare-brained or otherwise need serious ironing out.

For example, it says employees will get extra money if their company’s revenue has been slashed by about 50 percent since Jan 1. But the money goes to the employees, so the company that is hiring them is left high and dry without any relaxation of paying reduced salary.

How is this going to work? Or will companies need to apply, and then the government pays the company? You know how many companies will apply? And how many of them would be scams?

There is no specific relief for strategic sectors like airline and tourism industry - the entire ecosystem of businesses that have high turnover to sustain cash flow. They are the ones most impacted.

The amount means the government is serious. But without concrete details, implementation will fail. And on top of that, that's a lot of money from our reserves. How will this illegitimate government ensure it will not end up partially used to buy out parliamentarians?

Anonymous_1578627575182.61741578627189265: Seriously, I am all for it but can the country afford it? Where is the money coming from?

These are all operating-type expenses, so which part of revenue is it coming from to fund it? If the country is going to borrow to fund these expenses, then we are going to be in much a deeper hole.

Anonymous_07cd875d: Let's hope that there will be total transparency with regard to the source(s) of funds for this RM250 billion stimulus package, and also with regard to the recipients of the funds.

Every sen should be accounted for and a detailed statement should be presented to the rakyat.

SLYeap: Like what everyone is saying here, it is commendable what the government is trying to do, but who is going to pay for all this eventually?

Also, throwing money at the problem isn't going to solve anything for Malaysia if people do not change their entitled mindsets (i.e. bigoted people who think they are above the law and can ignore the movement control order).

We need to educate a vast majority of the population in basic science and remove this laidback village mindset that is basically causing the huge spread of Covid-19. This will most certainly not be the only pandemic we will face.

The agriculture minister should also seriously look at making Malaysia self-sufficient in food production. Why are we still importing rice after 63 years of independence?

And can someone please make former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak pay up the RM1.69 billion he allegedly owed to the Inland Revenue Board (IRB)? We need every sen for the nation's coffers.

Other taxpayers do not get to argue, they have to pay first and argue in court later. So why is Najib getting away with not paying and not sitting in Sungai Buloh jail for non-compliance?

Anonymous 770241447347646: This is not a stimulus package. This is trying to win the hearts of the people, knowing that the people have rejected such an administration.

Why is extra money given to pensioners as they already are drawing their pensions? Why is money given to those drawing a salary and those who will not be affected as they will remain in employment? They can still keep on paying their rentals, utility bills and bank interests.

Why not set a fund like the states, where all those who have lost their income because of the Covid-19 are given monthly subsidies? Not those who were unemployed before the outbreak. Only those affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Money should be spent on Health Ministry to buy as many as speed test kits so that more people are tested and isolated. Monies should also be spent on other necessary equipment needed in taking care of the patients.

In addition, money should be spent on making sure food supplies are taken care of to ensure no shortage of food during this pandemic.

Make sure the farmers, fishermen and planters manage to sell their products. Make sure the logistics remain the same as before the Covid-19 outbreak. This is so that they can continue depending on their own income and not be dependent on the government.

Cynical: Why is the government giving money to people who continue to get their salaries despite not working? Money should only be given to those who lost their jobs and have no food on their table, no money to pay rent and medical expenses.

Secondly, money should be channelled to businesses who have to continue to pay salaries, rent, service their loan interest despite having no income. This will ensure they don't have to close down, resulting in loss of jobs and damaging the economy.

Lastly, money should be reserved for the aged who needed help to pay their medical and living expenses since interest rates are too low for them to survive on their savings’ bank interest alone.

Anonymous #13571680: Yes, why is the government giving civil servants when they are still getting a steady income.

This stimulus package is to help those daily earners who don’t have income now or those who have been laid off from their jobs, or those contract workers who have been affected.

Cogito Ergo Sum: How are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) going to produce anything when there are no buyers and workers?

Taking loans from Bank Simpanan Negara (BSN) and others is nonsensical when production has come to a grinding halt. What they need is cash injections to cover fixed costs and maintain the labour without the need to pay back. If the SMEs go under, the whole nation goes under.

Business in Malaysia is conducted mainly by SMEs and not by government-linked companies (GLCs) or huge local conglomerates like Celcom, Maxis or YTL.

It’s the small businesses like provision shops, minimarts, hairdressing salons and small-scale tour operators that make the Malaysian business world go round. And somehow this lot seems to be forgotten.

Covid-19 kills. But the economy kills you slowly and on a much larger scale.

Patriot: “No one will be left behind,” said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Really? I am a small-time employer. I have 12 workers. Two of them with a salary over RM4,000. The other 10 draw salaries below RM4,000.

My pendapatan (income) drops by 50 percent since Jan 1. I can only claim a subsidy of RM6,000 per month but my wage bill alone is RM60,000 per month!

I cannot retrench my staff and cannot deduct their annual leave. Has the government not left me behind?

KedahKenari: I totally agree with Patriot. I’m in a similar situation and don’t see how this helps my stagnant business.

All revenues have been put on hold as everything we are involved in is in lockdown. Staff earning less than RM4,000 still need to be paid even though we have no work for them, plus they get an extra RM500 even though they get a holiday on their mortgage, car loan, etc.

They are actually better off with nothing to do. Not us. - Mkini