KUANTAN: Fishermen in Pahang have expressed hope that the upcoming 2018 Budget would see an increase in the existing RM300 cost of living allowance.
For Wan Abdul Jamal Wan Muhammad, an increase of the allowance to RM500 would greatly help fishermen who occupy the bottom 40 per cent household income group (B40).
"With the help of this money (allowance), it will lighten the burden for us fishermen especially in the repair of our boats and nets," said the 47-year-old, who has been a fisherman for more than 12 years.
He hopes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, through the unveiling of the Budget at Parliament this Friday, would provide more financial aid to further subsidise expenses in their line of work.
He noted that in the previous Budget, he only received an insulated ice box and the monthly allowance.
This wish was also in line with the 11th Malaysia Plan in increasing the group’s household income for a better quality life.
Kuantan Fishermen Association chairman Tuan Sulong Tuan Jusoh said association members are hoping that the upcoming Budget would provide more aid and incentives to help fishermen to secure affordable houses.
He said they also hoped that the government would be able to look into the building more houses for deserving fishermen applicants for low-cost housing in Bunut Rendang here.
"It would be better if there were more houses allocated for fishermen in the (housing) project.
“Currently, there are 154 units of houses allocated, but the number of the needy (fishermen) is more than that. 500 units would be sufficient to accommodate all of them,” said the 67-year-old.
Sulong, who has been a fisherman for the past 50 years, suggested that the Budget make allocation for aid similar to the RM10,000 aid to repair houses, in order to help the less well-off members of the fishermen community.
Meanwhile, Felda Bukit Goh Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Mat Zahari Deraman, 68, said that settlers would benefit from a Budget allocation that helps to maintain a high market price for palm oil.
The 68-year-old said that the right allocation to relevant government agencies such as the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) could help in efforts to prevent or lessen the impact from plunging prices.
“Today’s price (for fresh palm fruit bunches) has reached up to RM600 per tonne and it is quite fair for us,” said Zahari, who has been a settler for 47 years.
“The government had done a good job in safeguarding settlers' welfare via development of various infrastructural facilities (in Felda settlements), (general) development and education,” he noted in regards to past Budget allocations.