PETALING JAYA: It is the right time for the government to extend facilities such as i-Lestari, i-Sinar and the automatic loan repayment moratorium during the National Recovery Plan, says Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (pic).

       The Finance Minister said Malaysia was among the first nations to introduce such initiatives.

       "Initially we were heckled by those who were opposed to it.

       "Much later, some among them came to realise the initiatives’ positive effects and started to support them.

       "With the National Recovery Plan, this is the right time to reintroduce such initiatives to help the people and businesses," he said on social media on Sunday (June 27).

       He also noted that he had discussed the matter with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Bank Negara. The i-Lestari and i-Sinar initiatives allowed workers in the private sector to withdraw from their EPF savings.

       "The government will not stop its efforts to help the rakyat and will continue to find solutions together,” he added.

       The government is expected to announce appropriate assistance, including the loan repayment moratorium and i-Sinar facility, to alleviate the burden on people affected by Covid-19.