By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, June 30: The wage subsidy scheme provided by the federal government has given some relief to employers who need help to pay workers’ salaries.
Sim Kiang Chiok, a director of Sim Swee Yong Development and Construction Sdn Bhd, disclosed the wage subsidy scheme has given employers a helping hand to foot payroll for their workers.
“My hope is that the federal government can keep to the present wage assistance where there is a staggered and higher assistance for those companies with employees earning RM1,200 per month for less than 75 workers, RM800 for 76 to 200 workers and RM600 for 200 workers and above.
“We have about nine employees who have benefitted from this programme under our various associated companies,” Sim who is also Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) Kuching branch chairman revealed n a press statement.
He commended the federal government for providing inclusive assistance for companies to alleviate their administration costs in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sim noted the Covid-19 pandemic has created many uncertainties and shaken business confidence in financial markets all around the world.
He held that good leadership from the federal government in pump priming the country’s economy, less politicking and hard work will be some of the major remedies required to revive the country’s business and economy to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Sim revealed that Covid-19 has affected his business as his company’s showroom and shopfront could not operate during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
At his company’s construction site, all work was halted then and there with just a few security workers stationed at the construction site.
He also related the frustration and worry which surfaced when the MCO was extended three times until the Conditional MCO (CMCO) came into effect on May 4 when some relaxation was given to allow office work to resume and subsequently when several economic sectors were allowed to reopen on May 12 in Sarawak.
He added his company is currently working cautiously guided by Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in social distancing and hygiene, as well as health guidelines. — DayakDaily
