Wage subsidy programme should be extended to divisions under CMCO, says SPA chairman

John Lau.

KUCHING (Jan 22): The Wage Subsidy Programme (WSP) 3.0 should be extended to businesses located in divisions currently under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), opines Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA) chairman Datuk Dr John Lau Pang Heng.

Although having welcomed the WSP 3.0, he said the aid is only applicable to Malaysian states currently under Movement Control Order (MCO), with Sibu currently the only division under the MCO in Sarawak.

“In Sarawak, Sibu is under MCO – we assume that employers in Sibu Division will benefit from WSP 3.0.

“This would mean that the other 11 divisions in Sarawak would not be eligible for WSP,” he said in a statement today.

He pointed out that SPA had received calls from employers in Kuching, Miri, Limbang and Bintulu who expressed their deepest concerns about their companies’ continuous survivals, claiming that their operations and deliveries were cut down by half and their staff having to take turns to work on alternate days.

With 11 divisions in the state currently under Conditional MCO (CMCO), Dr Lau said many businesses currently operate with 50 percent or less capacities, having decreased sales which led to them suffering losses.

As such, he also called on the federal government to extend WSP 3.0 to businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) throughout the state.

“The employers would greatly appreciate if the federal government can help every employer in Sarawak and Malaysia rather than helping just those under MCO only.

“These unfortunate employers have called upon the government to provide WSP to every SME in Sarawak,” he added.

Quoting a statement from Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah last year, he said SME makes up of over 75 percent our business sectors in Sarawak.

With over 44,000 SMEs in Sarawak, he added that it had contributed 20 percent of Sarawak’s GDP, providing some 600,000 jobs.

“Survival of SME in Sarawak during Covid-19 pandemic requires immediate and urgent help from the government so that 600,000 jobs can be maintained and grow further during this disastrous period, where the employers would think about survivals, not profits, hoping no nightmares of bankruptcies nor liquidations, negotiating with banks threatening legal suits and recoveries.

“SPA earnestly hope the federal government will also provide the life buoys so that all Sarawakians can float and swim against the pandemic raging tide until the vaccines become the effective saviour of the health of our workers, employers and all Sarawakians and Malaysians as well as until the present ‘normal’ returns to real normal in the foreseeable future.

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