“There is currently a trust deficit and this affects confidence,” said the secretary-general of the Malaysia Consumers Movement, Sukhdave Singh.
Speaking to FMT, he said the country needed a stable government and a sound policy framework to ensure economic growth and improvement of public wellbeing.
“Thousands, if not millions, are affected by the ongoing pandemic and the recent political games have not been helpful,” he said.
“We want the new government to be stable and administered by credible and capable people who can walk the talk. We want minimum incidences of corruption.”
Sukhdave commended the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry for its monitoring of the prices of essentials and said it must continue with the good job.
He called for higher discounts on the domestic use of electricity and internet service, noting that most people were now working from home and consumption of utilities had increased.
He also said interest-free loan moratoriums must be given automatically to those who had been directly affected by the pandemic.
“The question of the feasibility of moratoriums should not even arise,” he said. “Banks have declared billions in profits over the years and they still are making profits.”
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) CEO Saravanan Thambirajah agreed, saying bank and insurance moratoriums must be available at least until July next year to those who need them.
He said many sectors would need time to recover from the pandemic and added that mortgage interest rates and hire purchase interest rates should be reduced in order to encourage people to spend.
He called for a lowering of food prices. “Many Malaysians have been affected by the pandemic and therefore a strong safety net for the B40 and M40 groups is needed,” he said.
“The new government should use the full provisions of the Competition Act 2020 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2010 to take stern action against traders in the supply chain who show any form of monopolistic behaviour.”
He also said children whose parents had died from Covid-19 should be given long-term assistance.
“Many children have lost their parents to the pandemic. Their future looks bleak as they do not have proper support. Thus, a living and education plan must be introduced to those affected by deaths in their families.”
He urged the government to also look into lowering income tax in order to increase purchasing power and stimulate economic growth.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST DATA ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA