The EPF Says Only 3% Malaysians Can Afford To Retire On Their EPF Savings!

 The EPF Says Only 3% Malaysians Can Afford To Retire On Their EPF Savings!

EPF's chief strategy officer, Nurhisham Hussein's statement that only 3% of Malaysians can afford to retire on their EPF savings is a wake-up call to the government with regards to the old age financial survival of our working population. 

The truth remains that massive EPF withdrawals, on account of the i-sinar, i-lestari and i-citra withdrawals estimated to be about 70 billion ringgit or more, was the main factor to the said state of affairs.

The financial challenges, brought about by the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic, would have warranted the government to provide sustained financial assistance to the people. The government, however, deemed it fit to allocate piece meal financial hand-outs that were, grossly, inadequate to meet the financial obligations of those who had either lost their jobs or had their income reduced by pay cuts.  Whilst defaulting on it's obligations, moral or otherwise, to provide meaningful financial assistance to the people, the government enticed the people to dip into their old age EPF retirement savings to mitigate their financial commitments. Sadly, the folly of the government has, now, morphed to the reality that about 97% of EPF members would not have the privilege of retiring upon attaining the retirement age of 60.

As said by the EPF's officer these group of old age people would need to continue working an extra 4 to 6 years and, as we may add, even longer! As our nation is fast moving towards an ageing population the question that needs to be postulated is the consequences of working beyond the retirement age. 

A study, by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Oraganisation (ILO) has revealed that working long hours is a contributing factor to  work related deaths. Working long hours, and by extension working between 4 to 6 years post retirement, would, inevitably, lead to a deterioration of both physical and mental health of the 60 plus years old workers what more the possibility of death as a consequence therefrom.

Given the reality that the overwhelming number of workers are left with insufficient savings post retirement, we would propose that the government seriously considers an  Old Age Social Protection Scheme. On this score we would propose that a nominal % from taxes collected be set aside into a pension fund or, alternatively, be channelled to the EPF whereof an equitable pension payment scheme be devised to provide for retiring workers. Until such proactive measures are put in place at the soonest, we may stand witness to an ageing population who would neither have sufficient EPF savings post retirement nor an Old Age Social Security network to provide them financial sustenance. 

K. Veeriah

Secretary 

Malaysian Trade Union Congress, Penang

0164184520

31.10.2021