Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday announced a RM150 billion (S$48.6 billion) aid package to help Malaysia tide over a nationwide lockdown that has been extended indefinitely.
The package includes RM10 billion in direct fiscal spending by the government in the form of cash aid, wage subsidies and unemployment assistance.
"I am aware of how hard things are for Malaysians after a year of battling the pandemic... I understand that aid should continue to be given out for as long as this crisis lasts," Tan Sri Muhyiddin said in a nationally televised announcement.
The full lockdown, imposed on June 1 and originally set to end yesterday, will not be lifted until daily new cases fall below 4,000.
Daily cases have persistently exceeded the 5,000 mark, and the number of patients in intensive care units remains high.
The recovery, or Pemulih, package is targeted at assisting households and businesses affected by the pandemic while Malaysia remains under phase one of its National Recovery Plan.
A total of RM4.6 billion will be allocated for the special Covid-19 assistance scheme to help 11 million people, mainly the elderly and singles.
Those in the low-income and middle-income groups are set to receive between RM100 and RM1,300 in cash handouts. The first payment will be in August.
Another RM500 million will be set aside for those who have lost their income. They will receive the aid in October.
A six-month moratorium will be given to all individual bor-rowers, including those in the high-income group and micro-entrepreneurs.
There will also be another round of withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund, which will allow contributors to withdraw up to RM5,000 - or RM1,000 a month for five months.
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The payouts
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RM4.6 billion in cash handouts to 11 million people
RM500 million in direct cash aid to one million people who lost their jobs
RM1,500 over a three-month period for each of 20,000 disabled individuals
6-month bank loan moratorium for all individual borrowers
5% to 40% electricity discount for domestic users from July to September; a 10 per cent discount for tourism-related businesses until December
RM20 million in seed funding for the disabled or homeless to start a business
Another RM1 billion for vaccination efforts, to buy enough vaccines for 130 per cent of the population.Nadirah Rodzi
Besides the RM3.8 billion in wage subsidies, there are also more tax breaks and grants, among other measures.
Mr Muhyiddin said Malaysia will also spend an additional RM1 billion to ramp up its vaccination programme, including RM400 million for the purchase of vaccines.
Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 5,218 new infections, bringing the total number of cases to 739,266.
Seven stimulus packages worth a total of RM380 billion were earlier provided by the government.
The new aid comes amid public anger, as Malaysians have grown more desperate to make ends meet during the pandemic.
But the announcement was met with mostly criticism from the public, who took to social media to voice their frustration.
"People have been asking for this government to cut the ministers' salaries, yet they still do nothing despite having been told... to do so multiple times ever since last year. Now, they are telling rakyat (the people) to withdraw their KWSP (retirement fund) money?" said Twitter user @kiminrrr.
Another Twitter user, @syzwnn, criticised the late payment date for the cash handout: "Don't you have any sense of urgency, PM? They need to wait until August? Pity those who have lost source of income."
