LETTER | Budget 2021: Future proof post-Covid-19

LETTER | Recently, the federal government revenue recorded last year amounted to RM264.4 billion, an increase of 13.5 percent. This allows more expenses to be taken in line with the pandemic situation in the next coming budget. The Covid-19 pandemic has stressed the lives of the people.

Umno Pulai Youth Wing is proposing a budget resolution called "Budget 2021: Future proof post-Covid-19".

A total of four civil society organisations, such as Transit Malaysia, Malaysian Youth Education Reform (MYER), a few members from Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Centre for Market Education (CME), and 30 individuals from various groups and industries were involved in this impromptu discussions on Twitter within a short range of time.

It covers three main agendas, namely social welfare, sustainable economy and post-Covid-19 future proof. In this policy, there are 15 clusters stated and 54 touch points are highlighted in the focal point.

These are:

Financial

1. Increase the amount of National Caring Assistance (BPN) by 50 percent according to previous standards.

2. The amount of administrative expenditure is doubled to open employment opportunities for the people, so that the government hires them to work in the public sector.

3. Review back expatriates policy to provide a better framework for MNCs to expand their business.

Taxation

1. Car Sales Tax - increase the Import Complete Build-Up Tax (CBU) from 50 percent to 70 percent.

2. Full exemption on sales tax for local and hybrid cars.

3. Withdrawal of EPF Account 1 is only for one year housing loan repayment only for the targeted scheme.

4. Introduction to carbon pricing and rebate (CPR) as stated in the Penang Institute Proposal Paper, the introduction of carbon pricing (carbon pricing) starts at RM35 / tCO2e, with carbon rebate may increase by 69.1-105.4, income can increase to RM5.6 million in 2021.

5. Introduce the social cost of carbon in measuring economic value based on CO2 increase.

6. Green Investment Tax Allowance and Exemption

Artificial Intelligence

1. The National AI Framework should be launched next year.

2. Provision of research funds on AI and extensive data usage plans are held.

3. Fight for strategic technology autonomy in Malaysia and the ASEAN region.

Agriculture

1. Long-term plan in the gradual and targeted removal of subsidiaries as well as activating fiscal discounts on agriculture.

Education

1. Provide access to at least one laptop for each household.

2. Good internet distribution and internet payment rebate for students.

3. Provision of comprehensive Emotional and Mental Literacy Learning Package.

4. Free counselling services be provided to students.

Covid-19 and Public Health

1. Provide RM1,000 incentive to frontliners on a monthly basis.

2. Establish a mechanism for the gradual distribution of Covid-19 vaccine; B40 for free, M40 is subject to 50 percent payment, 70 percent for M40 and 100 for T5.

3. Improve more secondary health facilities, including infrastructure development.

4. Increase investment in primary care and mental health infrastructure development.

5. Increase or create funds for academicians and professionals in conducting research and vaccine manufacturing capacity.

Infrastructure

1. The government should accelerate efforts to expand 5G coverage in urban areas and 4G in rural areas.

2. A research fund should be established to study and upgrade our ways to rebuild roads to be more sustainable, compared to what we have now that often causes a lot of emissions to be emitted.

3. Require that most lights on federal and state roads be converted to LED lights to save energy costs and achieve energy efficiency.

Defence and security

1. Provide a regular incentive of RM700 to the police and military involved in CMCO or MCO until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic

2. Increase the assets of the Department of Civil Defence (JPAM) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement (APMM) to ensure that our seas are taken care of.

Indigenous people

1. Increase the amount of Jakoa assistance and expand the provision of such assistance to indigenous people

2. The government should develop an Indigenous Economic Empowerment Programme to help them in terms of the digital economy and improve the indigenous economy.

3. Provision is increased at each National Park and National Conservation Centre, and take as much as 50 percent of the Orang Asli as enforcement staff or wardens there.

Sustainable transport

1. Provide incentives to developers who provide public transport links to the city and other suburbs instead of further road widening.

2. Encourage developers to develop on available/underused land in cities, or at least develop close to the knot to get more urban workers living in cities, so that we can leverage and upgrade existing infrastructure, especially transportation, to serve more people at once.

3. Make systemic reforms of transportation and space planning needed to re-optimise existing traffic networks and urban densities to encourage sustainable transport behaviour.

4. Empowered Regional Transport Plans include optimising and reinstalling existing car-oriented infrastructure for public transport.

Social welfare

1. Support the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill and it should be funded to strengthen awareness of domestic anti-violence and sexual harassment

2. Provide social workers for Women Workers and Women's Economic Programmes, especially for housewives in terms of upscaling and re-upskilling.

3. Extend the provision of public nurseries, including in the red zones, to ease the burden of young families.

4. Provide the Covid-19 Legal Fund for individuals who are unable to pay legal fees, especially in cases involved directly or indirectly with Covid-19.

Upholding the economy of Khaira Ummah

1. Provide “Muamalat Grants” to B40 Muslims as an Islamic economic commitment that can strengthen the Malaysian economy.

2. Increase the amount of aid for those who need it.

Conservation, environment and climate change

1. The government should look at food safety as one of the important issues to be funded, as well as the provision of funds for the study of long-term plans.

2. The government should also invest in pollution monitoring machines as much as possible as the first step to tackle river pollution.

3. e-SWIS should be upgraded and the waste disposal centres scheduled to increase as well as increase access to waste recycling centres near their housing.

4. Green Tech Financing Schemes (GTFS) should increase their funding, as well as strengthen the operating system to gain such access.

5. Regarding energy policy, Net Energy Metering (NEM) should be introduced and any infrastructure regarding renewable energy should be strengthened, except for large dam projects and large-scale solar farms.

6. The National Adaptation Plan should be introduced to provide policies and measures towards Malaysia National Climate Change Adaptation 2030 as well as two provisions can be given to overcome floods and the welfare of people affected by floods.

7. Convert unused forests to protected areas to increase the percentage of Permanent Forest Reserves and increase rain and air catchment areas.

8. The government should introduce "Wildlife Honorary" to ordinary people as a measure to reduce the cost of administrative expenses and give minimum 'power' as an enforcer to ordinary people, like what Sabah does.

Human resources

1. The government should increase the capacity and empower TVET workshops as well as short courses are provided free of charge (FOC).

2. The rights and salaries of workers under the Labor Force Act should be reviewed and amended, this includes clauses with respect to interns.

3. A Job Employment Guarantee Scheme should be introduced. This is in line with what is requested by the Umon Youth vice-chief Shahril Hamdan. This includes the introduction of Employment Grants and the hope that capacity building as well as allocation for upskilling and upscaling programmes will be enhanced.

Small and medium entrepreneurs

1. The government should increase the amount of capacity and volume to alleviate the burden of small and medium industrial traders through increasing grant funds to revive their businesses, the same framework when the MCO but expanded, in increasing quotas and increased volume.

MUHAMMAD SHAQIB SHAHRILNIZAM is from the Umno Pulai Youth wing.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.