GEORGE TOWN: After championing the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) issue, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is focusing its sights on targeted withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan said after being pushed by the people, through Perikatan Nasional members of parliament, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim finally maintained the tax relief for SSPN savers.
Anwar told the Dewan Negara today that tax relief for SSPN would be reintroduced following calls by many quarters that the government consider the tax break that was not included in the revised 2023 Budget.
"I have agreed to extend this tax exemption until 2024, which will benefit 400,000 taxpayers and cost the government RM250 million," he said when tabling the 2023 Budget at the upper house today.
Wan Saiful, who is Tasek Gelugor member of parliament, said the next step would be to see that people were allowed to make targeted withdrawals from EPF.
"EPF is contributors' money, not the government's.
"This Pakatan Harapan-Umno government seems to be living in 'paradise' and continues to ignore the people's hardships and complaints, so much so that they consider the people's money as their personal property.
"The people must continue to speak up. I will continue to speak up. No matter what pressure they put on it, let's not let this tyrannical paradise government act at will to deny the people's rights."
Yesterday, Wan Saiful said the government's move to end the tax relief for SSPN depositors would destroy efforts to encourage education savings, and as a result, young people would continue to depend on the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans.
He also accused the government of being "anti-rakyat" in implementing the move and of being against the younger generation, the majority of whom he claimed had voted for PN in the 15th General Election.
Wan Saiful said today in trying to increase the SSPN relief rate to RM8,000, his goal was to ensure that they could change the culture of the people from debt to savings.
"The PH-Umno government should support this goal so that young people do not continue to be burdened with debt.
"Unfortunately, the PH-Umno government has the intention of eliminating incentives for the people. PH-Umno's anti-rakyat attitude only changed after the people spoke out against them.
"It is certain that they will act as if they are listening to the voices of the people. But let's not forget that their original intention was to eliminate incentives that benefitted the people. These bad intentions do not go away easily.
"If I and some MPs don't speak up on the SSPN issue, they will bulldoze it and move on. So, the next step is to work for the people to be allowed to withdraw EPF in a targeted manner."