Umno figures cry foul over EPF withdrawal conditions

 

Several Umno figures have cried foul over conditions set by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for withdrawals under the i-Sinar programme.

Generally, EPF contributors seeking to make a withdrawal must have either lost their source of income or prove that their total income had reduced by 30 percent since March 1.

Withdrawals will have to be spread out over a maximum of six months. The maximum that can be withdrawn on the first payment is between RM5,000 and RM10,000, depending on eligibility.

There is also a withdrawal cap of RM10,000 for those with RM100,000 and below in their EPF Account 1, or 10 percent of their account balance, up to a maximum of RM60,000, for those with RM100,000 and above in Account 1.

Former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak disagreed with the staggered payment scheme and urged the government to make several improvements.

The Pekan MP said EPF contributors should be allowed to choose whether or not they want to make a lump-sum withdrawal.

"We should trust the contributors. This is their own funds. Those who need (to withdraw) are those facing burdens and difficulties," said Najib said on his Facebook page today.

He also said it is not up to the government to arbitrarily decide that workers must lose at least 30 percent of their income to qualify, and noted that those earning a smaller income would be disproportionately affected even by a small dip in their income.

“The government also does not know how much debt and liabilities many have piled up each month since the pandemic began 10 months ago due to uncertain income,” he said.

Najib added that many were already desperate by October and cannot afford to wait until February next year to be thrown a lifeline.

Another reason to make i-Sinar withdrawals unconditional, he said, is to avoid a rush of Category 2 applicants to EPF offices to submit supporting documents for their applications. This will help reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

The Pekan MP also said EPF contributors should be allowed to choose whether or not they want to make a lump-sum withdrawal.

"We should trust the contributors. This is their own funds. Those who need (to withdraw) are those facing burden and difficulty," Najib said on his Facebook page today.

Last night, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki made a pun on the "i-Sinar" (i-bright) name by questioning whether it should be known as "i-Malap" (i-dark) instead.

"At a glance, it does not appear to fulfil what the rakyat wants, which is an RM10,000 lump sum maximum withdrawal.

"The rakyat is also hampered by conditions," Asyraf added.

Pontian MP and Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan wrote on Twitter that from what he could see on social media, "nothing positive" was said about the conditions imposed by EPF.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, in his Budget 2021 speech on Nov 6, had initially limited i-Sinar withdrawals to those who have lost their jobs, with their maximum monthly withdrawals limited to RM500 for up to 12 months.

This was followed by protests from MPs on both sides of the floor when the bill was debated at the policy stage.

On Nov 26, just before a vote was called, Zafrul promised to widen the eligibility for withdrawals. Details were only released last night.

It is understood that top Umno MPs - party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Ahmad and supreme council members Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Shahidan Kassim - will be meeting Zafrul soon over their disagreements with the i-Sinar scheme. - Mkini