GEORGE TOWN: Experts have urged local councils to go easy on the collection of rent from tenants of council flats, especially those who have lost their jobs or source of income because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Economist Madeline Berma said a repayment scheme ought to be set up to allow tenants to pay according to what they could afford.
Her comments come after a jobless single mother in Penang was given an eviction notice by the city council for failing to pay RM97 rent for six months. The woman lost her job in March after the national Covid-19 lockdown.
“During these difficult times, we need to have a social safety net or micro-insurance repayment scheme based on ability to pay for low-income families.
“All avenues should be explored to allow the Penang woman and her children to remain there. She should only be asked to pay a reasonable rent when she gets a job. The family should not be evicted unless they pose a threat to security,” Berma told FMT.
Sociologist Denison Jayasooria said the authorities in Penang should suspend collection of house rent from those facing hardship.
“I think the local government can be more compassionate. Penang is a rich state and during the pandemic, they should consider suspending rent collection,” he said.
Last week, Mageswari Krishnasamy, 31, a dishwasher who lost her job in March, had an eviction notice pasted on her Taman Free School home by the Penang Island City Council.
She had been unable to pay the RM97 monthly rent because she does not have a regular income.
She used to do odd jobs, such as cleaning homes for RM50 for four hours and cutting vegetables for RM20 a day. However, such work was hard to come by because of the pandemic.
Jelutong MP RSN Rayer wrote to the city council asking for the eviction notice to be withdrawn and for her arrears to be written off.
After Mageswari’s plight was highlighted by FMT, many people came forward to pay her dues and help her with food and other necessities.
Former deputy Federal Territories minister Loga Bala Mohan offered to pay a year’s rent, amounting to RM1,164.
However, he ended up paying RM1,940 as the council said RM780 in arrears and late fees must be paid first.
Loga said he was disappointed the city council and the state government had not stepped forward to clear the arrears and offer the single mother a permanent solution to pay her future rent.
“By now, the state government should have made sure her six months’ arrears are written off. They should conduct a financial survey of all other others living at the block of flats.
“I wonder what the state government has been doing. Are they listening? You can’t push someone poor to give up their government flat, when such units are meant for low-income earners.”
Meanwhile, Mageswari thanked all those who had called in to offer their help. She said that after a long time, she and her children had tasted some “fish and chicken” dishes.
She said her first social welfare aid of RM770 had arrived on Oct 20, after a long wait. She had opened her BSN account for the purpose on Sept 21 after applying for welfare on Sept 8.
from Free Malaysia Today https://ift.tt/31QAfJd
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment