Govt always considers proposals and solutions to lessen the burden of the people - Tengku Zafrul

In a posting on his Facebook page, Tengku Zafrul said one of the requests that the Finance Ministry often received was for the extension of the i-Sinar and i-Lestari programmes.

"The government understands and sympathises with the difficulties faced by the people, in fact I personally have acquaintances and relatives who apply for i-Lestari and i-Sinar in their current challenges," he said.

At the same time, Tengku Zafrul said there were also contributors and economic commentators who criticised the government because they did not want the people's dividends and old-age savings to be jeopardised as a result of the government allowing large-scale withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

"What I am trying to convey here is that there are various voices supporting and opposing. We will try to find a solution that can meet the needs of all parties," he said.

Tengku Zafrul added that the Finance Ministry and the EPF always listen to the people's expressions and complaints, "and your session with the Zoom Session with some influencers among the people held recently was part of our efforts to get feedback to formulate policies and initiatives that meet the needs and the will of the people".

"Just yesterday, I met with EPF chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah and EPF senior management to refine the appropriate assistance for the National Recovery Plan," he said.