Perak MB, 10 exco members to donate three months' salary to COVID-19 fund

IPOH: Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad and 10 members of the state executive council have agreed to donate their salaries for three months starting in June to the COVID-19 Disaster Trust Fund.

Speaking at a virtual press conference after chairing the state executive council meeting today, Saarani said apart from donating their salaries, a Perak Sejahtera Economic Stimulus Package (PRE) 2021 worth RM19.5 million had also been approved as part of the state government’s moves to cushion the impact of COVID-19 and the full closure of the social and economic sectors for 14 days.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when announcing the PEMERKASA Plus stimulus package said all ministers and deputy ministers would not be taking their salaries for three months from June and that the salaries would be contributed to the Trust Fund to finance expenses related to COVID-19.

Saarani said the Perak Sejahtera PRE would take effect immediately to ensure the survival and wellbeing of the affected groups, especially among the B40 households, homeless, hawkers and petty traders, youths, farmers and tourism operators.

The stimulus package includes:

1. One month rental exemption for housing programmes under the Perak Housing and Property Board.

2. One month moratorium on housing loans and hire purchase.

3. One month rental exemption for stalls under local authorities and one-off aid of RM300 each for 47,226 registered hawkers and petty traders.

4. One month moratorium on Perak State Government Higher Education Loan for 228 students.

5. Hotel licence renewal fee exemption for 565 hotels registered with local authorities, one-off aid of RM3,000 for the Perak Chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotel, and RM2,000 for the Persatuan Umrah, Haji dan Ziarah (PUHAZ).

6. One-off aid of RM2,000 for homestay management, RM500 for tourist boat operator (Pulau Pangkor, Temenggor, Teluk Intan, Kuala Sepetang and Kg. Dew Kelip-Kelip), and Phase 4 #TravelPeraklah tourism voucher to Perak Spa Operators Association and PUHAZ.

7. Quit Rent: Exemption on late payment penalty, discount on quit rent and parcel rent arrears.

8. Agriculture and fisheries: Purchase of seed aid, food inputs, harvesting activities, and food box aid.

On the proposed opening of another Homeless Transit Centre (PPG) in Kinta which was also included in the package, Saarani said it was the only other location identified so far before the project could be expanded statewide.

It was reported earlier that the state government would reopen the PPG in the state from early June in a move to avoid the group from triggering new COVID-19 clusters.

State Women Development, Family and Social Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin said it was also in line with the first phase of the total lockdown nationwide from Tuesday until June 14.

The PPG at the Red Crescent Hall in Jalan Kompleks Sukan in Ipoh, for example, can accommodate 40 homeless people and will be opened quickly with the announcement of the government.

-- BERNAMA