KUALA LUMPUR: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has described the suggestion to deny civil servants the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) cash aid as unfair and narrow minded.
Responding to a view expressed by a financial consultant during a discussion programme organised by a Malay-language daily, Cuepacs president Adnan Mat said it was also unfair to claim that civil servants were not affected by the economic impact brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We feel that the statement by the financial consultant is narrow and only touches on a small group and does not represent all Malaysian households.
"As we know, the criteria for the distribution of BPN was based on the income of a household or the entire family and not based merely on an individual.
"In this context, the government has fixed the distribution of the cash aid to households from the B40 and M40 apart from individuals from the two income groups. The classification of the income segments is irrespective of whether they are from the government or the private sector," he said in a statement today.
Adnan, however, did not name the financial consultant who was referred to in the statement.
During a discussion programme titled "Dari T20 Kepada M20" (From T20 to M20), Hijrah Wealth Management Sdn Bhd founder and main consultant Rohani Md Shahir had reportedly said that it was "zalim" (unfair) to give the assistance to all people.
"It is 'zalim' if we give it to everyone since justice has its limits and fairness is for the deserving people. Therefore, it is important to give assistance to those in need," she had said during the discussion programme.
Adnan had said that it was also unfair to claim that civil servants were not eligible to receive the cash aid as they still receive their monthly salary amid the economic uncertainties brought by the pandemic.
"Not all civil servants are eligible to receive the cash aid if their monthly income is over the requirement limit as set by the government. The same is also applicable to those working in the private sector.
"We will also like to stress that not all civil servants and their spouses work in the same sector.
"Some spouses of civil servants are full time housewife. There are also spouses of civil servants who are self-employed, working as small traders or attached to a private sector whose income might have been affected (during the pandemic)," he said.
In addition, Adnan said civil servants were still required to pay their housing loans with the Public Sector Home Financing Board (LPPSA) although their spouses had become unemployed, or their source of income had severely been affected during the pandemic.