KUALA LUMPUR: Several individuals representing Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) contributors have sought former prime minister Najib Razak’s help to convince the government to allow the withdrawal of EPF savings.
The group is asking Najib to appeal to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz to give the green light for the unconditional withdrawal of RM10,000 from their retirement savings.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Azmi Mohd Tahir said they were making the plea as many EPF contributors were still affected because of movement control orders imposed by the government to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said more than 50,000 EPF contributors had signed an online petition that he started calling for one final withdrawal of RM10,000 from their savings.
“The money is not just to help us because of the floods but because of the movement restrictions that lasted for two years that caused many to either lose their jobs, receive only half of their pay or not be paid salaries at all,” he told reporters after handing over a memorandum containing the signatures to Najib at the latter’s office in Bukit Pantai in Bangsar, here, today.
Also present were several representatives from the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), who support the move.
Its president Nadzim Johan said many EPF contributors had yet to get new jobs or a stable income.
“There are some who have started working again but the pay is not the same as before the pandemic.
“There are also EPF contributors who want to withdraw their savings because they want to settle their debts, loans and other financial commitments,” he said.
He added that the financial burden of some contributors also increased because of the floods last month.
Last March, the government allowed the special withdrawal of EPF savings through the i-Sinar scheme to lessen the impact of the pandemic on those affected.
The government then announced a second withdrawal programme, the i-Citra scheme, last August. - FMT
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