Budget 2021 to focus on efforts to fight Covid-19 - Muhyiddin

 

Budget 2021 will provide allocations to curb the spread of Covid-19 as the government steps up its battle against the pandemic, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the government would spell out additional measures in the Budget, which will be tabled on Nov 6, as part of efforts to bring the life of the people back to normalcy.

"As a caring government, Perikatan Nasional (PN) will implement additional measures. Before this RM305 billion (has been spent), and Budget 2021 will focus on efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"We have spent almost RM2 billion on the Health Ministry while in Sabah alone, which has been badly hit by Covid-19, about RM400 million has spent in the past few weeks involving the delivery of food aid to houses and medical supplies," he said.

Muhyiddin said this when opening the 24th annual general meeting of Koperasi Sungai Terap dan Sungai Raya Muar Berhad at Dewan Sri Permata, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bukit Pasir in Muar today.

Also present were Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission (SKM) executive chairman Nordin Salleh, Johor police chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, Bukit Kepong state assemblyperson Dr Sahruddin Jamal and Bukit Pasir state assemblyperson Najib Lep.

Muhyiddin said the government was committed to fighting Covid-19 in the coming Budget and would continue to help the people who have been impacted by the pandemic.

"The government had to provide stimulus packages to help the people because certain groups were badly hit. If (during the movement control order) previously some had asked to withdraw from account two of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), now there are people seeking to withdraw their savings in account one.

"This (withdrawal of savings) is quite difficult to implement, as the government has already provided billions (to ease the people’s burden). You can expect more to come as I will be disbursing billions more to help the people.

"The (EPF) savings are for our old age. If we allow this (withdrawal), the people will face another set of problems,” he added.

- Bernama