GEORGE TOWN:Fishermen hope that the government can focus on the empowerment of the group in Budget 2021 which will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, this Friday.

National Fishermen's Association (Nekmat) chairman, Abdul Hamid Bahari said Budget 2021 was expected to outline the development of fishermen to achieve the goal of helping to improve the overall living standards of the fishing community as a whole.

"For the next budget, we on the part of the fishermen, hope that the government will maintain the position of subsidised oil by ensuring that subsidised oil is sold more cheaply than industrial oil.

This is because now (since March until now), the government has placed the price of industrial oil as cheaper than subsidised oil, namely, estimated at RM1.48 to RM1.55 per litre compared to subsidised oil which is at RM1.65 per litre.

"By maintaining the price of subsidised oil, it is hoped to achieve the goal to help the group in continuing their survival, especially when facing the COVID-19 pandemic," he said when contacted by Bernama here yesterday.

Apart from that, he also hoped that the government through the Fisheries Department would pay attention to the issue of permits for fishing boat (Zone A) which had been put off for quite a long time.

"Nekmat also hopes that the federal government can increase the budget for fishermen's housing as well as apply to increase loans under the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority’s (LKIM) fishermen’s fund programme.

"We also hope that by increasing the number of loans through the Fishermen's Fund, namely, from RM25,000 a year to RM50,000 a year, the welfare of fishermen will be protected at the same time to improve and empower downstream projects (projects related to the fisheries sector)," he said.

Meanwhile, Kuala Muda Penaga fisherman representative, Yahya Mohamed Ismail said the government (through the Fisheries Department) should consider the application for a fishing boat permit as a method to protect the welfare of fishermen as a whole.

"In the next budget, we want the government to take seriously the fishing boat permits because if there is a disaster at sea, fishermen who do not have this permit will not get any compensation or protection," he told Bernama when contacted, yesterday.

Yahya, who is also the village head of Kampung Kuala Muda, Penaga said, so far, as many as 300 registered Kuala Muda Penaga fishermen had boat permits, while 62 of them were still waiting for approval from the Fisheries Department.

“The applications (of boat permits) have been made for a long time. So, we do not want fishermen who do not have a boat permit to take risks when going to sea. What more with the current stormy season, the risk of going out to sea is very high, "he said.

-- BERNAMA