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JOHOR BARU: The public and business groups are happy with the government’s decision to introduce more initiatives to help them cope with the Covid-19 pandemic that affected their lives.
Johor Baru Business and Hawker Association President Roland Lim said the additional RM10.6bil economic stimulus package, Kita Prihatin, announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was timely.
“It is a good initiative that will definitely benefit the public, especially small business owners who are still struggling to overcome the economic impact of the pandemic.
“The Salary Subsidy Plan, in particular, is a much-needed help for companies as they cannot continue to pay the full salary of workers and are looking for ways to reduce operating costs,” he said.
Lim added that the number of stores closing in Johor Baru was increasing day by day as the owners could not maintain their business without having customers from Singapore and Indonesia.
“Some commercial operators cannot operate despite not having to pay rent for their stores.
“There are also some who have decided to quit their business and take jobs,” he said, hoping the package will help them get through the tough times.
Abdul Razak says that the Prihatin Special Grant will benefit many taxi drivers.
The secretary of the Johor (Perusim) Indian Muslim Employers Association, Hussein Ibrahim, said the wage subsidy program would bring great relief to restaurant owners who have been losing customers.
“However, I hope the government will consider allowing foreign workers to benefit from the wage subsidy this time as well.
“This is because most of the workers employed by Perusim members are foreigners,” said Hussein.
Taxi driver Abdul Razak Abd Rahman, 57, said the Prihatin Special Grant (PSG) would benefit many taxi drivers who made very little income due to fewer customers during the pandemic.
“We did not know that taxi drivers could apply for the grant the first time it was presented. We thought it was for store owners only.
“Some tried their luck and applied for the grant in advance and their applications were approved.
“This is how we found out that we are eligible for it as we are registered with the Malaysian Business Commission,” he said.
Razak said that by the time they found out about this, it was too late to apply.
“So the reintroduction of the grant is good news for us,” he said.
Engineer P. Prakash, 25, suggested that the government provide subsidies for essential household items instead of giving out cash.
“It cannot be denied that it is a good government effort for the people, but the essentials subsidies will help the public in the long run.
“I feel that giving monetary aid is a temporary solution that may not bring any long-term benefits,” Prakash said.
On Wednesday, Muhyiddin announced the RM10bil Kita Prihatin package which included Bantuan Prihatin Nasional 2.0 cash aid, Salary Subsidy Program 2.0 and Prihatin Special Grant.
The aid is expected to reach some 10.6 million people and micro-businesses.
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