TAPAH:The Wage Subsidy Programme (PSU) 2.0 involving an allocation of RM2.4 billion can help employers and employees in certain sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for another three months in the event the Movement Control Order (MCO) is reimposed.

Human Resources Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the PSU 2.0 implemented by the government through the PRIHATIN Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN) could benefit more than one million workers.

“The responsibility of the Human Resources Ministry is to ensure that the unemployment problem can be controlled as best as possible so that companies can continue operating and their employees can be retained.

“I believe if the MCO is imposed again, we will still be able to help companies continue operating among them in terms of paying employees’ salaries. What is important is that we have to have strong finances to face the MCO should it happen,” he said.

Saravanan, who is also Tapah member of Parliament, told this to reporters after closing the Introduction to Basic Sewing and Use of Edge Stitch Sewing Machine Courses under the Human Resources Development Fund's (HRDF) PENJANA Initiative Programme for the B40 development, at Dewan Merdeka here, today.

On Sept 23, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced an allocation of RM2.4 billion under PSU 2.0 to help companies that are still affected and is expected to benefit 1.3 million employees.

Commenting on today's programme, Saravanan said as many as 100 people comprising residents around Tapah area were given training and equipment for sewing, among others aimed at providing skills, training and guidance to the low-income group (B40).

He said the programme implemented by the ministry in collaboration with HRDF and Worldwide Corporate Resources Sdn Bhd would be expanded nationwide in the future.

-- BERNAMA