KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has urged the government to focus its aid efforts to assist the vulnerable group of Malaysian citizens, especially those who have lost their jobs due to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Urging this was its president, Tan Sri T.C Goh while responding to the prime minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin’s announcement today of further extension of the conditional MCO (CMCO), for another four weeks from May 13 to June 9.
He said, while Huazong was supportive of the government’s approach in reviving the economy by allowing almost all economic sectors and businesses to reopen, the Federation also hoped that the government could now better focus its aid efforts on the vulnerable groups; they included workers who had been laid off by their employers, the self-employed who are currently still unable to resume work, the single-parent families, and those elderly folks who have no one to depend on.
“From the day the MCO came into effect on March 18 until 9 June, it’s a long-and-burdensome 84 days for a vast majority of the people. And, there’s also this period of uncertainty ahead. Hence, the government must start to pay due attention and to provide necessary assistance to the vulnerable group of Malaysians,” he said this in a statement issued today.
Goh also hoped that the government could continue to give due attention to assist the business sector, the small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and micro businesses especially, by expanding the existing financing schemes to allow more businesses to apply. This is so that they could ease their cash-flow problem and to continue to stay afloat, and to save jobs.
Besides this, he also called on the people and businesses to continue to observe the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the authorities during the CMCO period, in order to prevent a spike in the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We in Huazong fully support the government’s decision to extend the CMCO in the nation and its people’s best interest. We believe the people and the Chinese community too will continue to give their support and cooperation to the government’s continuous efforts to fight Covid-19,” he said.
He acknowledged that in the last 54 days since the implementation of the MCO, Malaysians at large have demonstrated a high degree of discipline, compliance and cooperation to the government.
“The people’s effort and cooperation with the authorities thus far has obviously produced a remarkable result in containing Covid-19. Let us all step up our effort until the situation is fully under controlled,” he urged.
Meanwhile, he said Huazong has compiled a five-point proposal for the government to consider, in line with the further extension of CMCO until 9 June, as the follows:
1. To further expand on the existing ‘Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package’, to give special focus to better assist the vulnerable group of Malaysians.
2. To continue to pay due attention to the business sector, and to expand the financing schemes for more businesses to get the much needed aid for them to resume operations.
3. To continue to monitor and ensure that the people and businesses strictly abide by the SOP set by the authorities during this period of extended CMCO.
4. To ensure that the celebrations of the coming festivity is well under controlled in the current situation.
5. To set up a Special Committee to expedite the drafting of a comprehensive-and-effective “post Covid-19 Recovery Plan” to guide the people and businesses to better embrace the ‘new norm’.- or/BNN
