Polemik Moratorium: Apa Pilihan Kita?

Saya pecahkan penerangan kepada dua aspek. Pertama, aspek pilihan yang ada kepada peminjam berlandaskan kenyataan terkini Bank Negara Malaysia malam tadi. Kedua, aspek pengurusan politik.

A. ASPEK PILIHAN YANG ADA KEPADA PEMINJAM

Ada 3 pilihan:

1) tolak moratorium. Bayar macam biasa.

Jika ambil moratorium, boleh pilih

2) pada bulan Oktober 2020, bayar lumpsum jumlah tertangguh. Kalau sebelum moratorium ini, tiap2 bulan bayar RM1,000, bulan Oktober nanti bayar 1000+6000 = RM7,000. Dengan cara ini, tiada tambahan faedah dikenakan dan tiada tambahan tempoh pinjaman. Cuma berat la tiba-tiba nak bayar 7,000.

3) bermula Oktober 2020, mula bayaran lebih untuk tampung faedah dikenakan (terakru). Ikut contoh RM1,000 tadi, bermula Oktober 2020, bayaran mungkin naik ke RM1,030 atau mengikut formula kontrak masing-masing dan baki tempoh pinjaman. Bab ini, bank masing-masing kena jelaskan berapa sebenarnya lebihan – juga bergantung sama ada faedah berganda (compounded) atau tidak. Kalau ikut opsyen ini, tempoh pinjaman juga dipanjangkan 6 bulan. Contoh, kalau sebelum ini baki tempoh pinjaman 60 bulan, sekarang jadi 66 bulan.

Opsyen 3 ni barangkali tak terasa sangat sebab bayaran faedah terakru 6 bulan itu dibahagikan mengikut baki tempoh bayaran.

—–

B) ASPEK PENGURUSAN POLITIK

Sebarang kenyataan dalam tempoh 12-24 jam akan datang, Kerajaan wajar mengakui kelemahan komunikasi yang berlaku. Jika Kerajaan seolah-olah terlalu defensif dan dilihat menyalahkan rakyat salah faham dan sebagainya, itu satu kesilapan. Kenapa?

1. tak boleh dinafikan komunikasi tidak sempurna. Contohnya, soalan lazim (FAQ) Bank Negara Malaysia pun berubah. Pada awalnya tidak disebut faedah berganda (meskipun tidak juga dijanjikan tiada faedah berganda). Sekarang ini disebut pula ada kemungkinan faedah berganda mengikut budibicara bank-bank komersil. (Rujuk lampiran pertama dan kedua)

Contoh lain, pada mulanya dilihat bahawa moratorium ini adalah automatik dan hanya mereka yang tidak mahu, boleh tolak. Sekarang kena tunggu bank menghubungi kita dan kita kena pilih pula.

2. dalam penerangan Kerajaan sebelum ini, tidak cukup ditekankan bahawa bayaran faedah terakru tetap dikenakan. Ya, mungkin ada dalam FAQ dan penerangan teknikal, tetapi ia tidak dijelaskan dalam bahasa mudah. Seharusnya Kerajaan cakna dengan tanggapan umum dan awal-awal memperbetul sebarang salahtanggapan.

Malah dalam FAQ BNM pun ada penerangan yang mengelirukan sebelum ini. Dalam satu ayat kata ada faedah terakru dikenakan. Dalam ayat lain, BNM gambarkan bahawa jadual pembayaran tetap sama. Macam mana nak sama kalau ada tambahan faedah terakru dikenakan? (Lampiran ketiga)

—-

Pun begitu, saya agak sinis dengan kritikan pihak pembangkang yang seolah-olah meraikan isu ini. Sewaktu awal-awal pengumuman moratorium ini pada 24 Mac, kalau ingat, yang melaporkan dahulu bukan Perdana Menteri mahupun Kementerian Kewangan, tetapi melalui satu pekeliling dari BNM yang terdedah kepada media.

Waktu itu, ramai puak PH berpusu-pusu memuji dan beri kredit kepada BNM, seolah-olah ia tiada kena mengena dengan Kerajaan. (Lampiran keempat)

Hari ini, bila BNM buat kesilapan komunikasi, PH salahkan Kerajaan 100% pula.

Itu mainan politik yang tidak ikhlas.

Ya, ada kekurangan disini, khususnya kegagalan memperbetul dan menjelaskan dari awal – yakni kelemahan komunikasi.

Ini waktu luarbiasa. Tiada Kerajaan dalam dunia sekarang ini yang terselemat dari tekanan mendesak. Walaupun pada hemat saya perlu ada pakej pemulihan ekonomi menjangkaui inisiatif Prihatin sedia ada (akan saya kupas lagi kelak), sekurang-kurangnya Kerajaan telah membuktikan ada usaha mempermudah aliran tunai rakyat. Jika wujud kekurangan, akui dan cuba fahamkan kepada rakyat dengan nada rendah diri.

Selamat bersahur.

Shahril Hamdan
Ketua Penerangan UMNO Malaysia
Naib Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Moratorium polemic: What’s our choice?

I BREAK it into two aspects. First, the aspect of options for borrowers in line of the latest statement by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) last night. Secondly is the aspect of political management.

A. BORROWERS OPTIONS

There are three, namely:

  1. Reject moratorium and pay as usual. If moratorium is accepted, they can choose.
  2. Settle in full whatever amount due in October 2020. For example, if the monthly installment is RM1,000, they must pay 1000+6000 + RM7,000. No additional interest and no extended loan repayment period are provide. But it will quite hefty to come up with that RM7,000.
  3. From October onward, you will have to pay more monthly for accrued interest. Of the RM1,000 instance, your monthly payment could be RM1,030 beginning October or based in calculation agreed upon to the loan contract. In this matter, banks will have to clearly inform on the extra repayment but it is also based on whether compounded interest is added on. For this option, repayment period is extended by another 6 months. For instance, it will be 66 months to the original 60 months installments.

The 3rd option is maybe less burdensome since the 6-month accrued interest is equally divided by the balance monthly installment.

B) POLITICAL MANAGMENT ASPECT

Should there be any miscommunications in the next 12-24 hours, the government must admit the shambles in disseminating information. If the government is seen as too defensive and put the blame solely on the rakyat, it is a big mistake. Why is that so?

  1. This reflects weak communications. For example, BNM’s FAQ too is often changing. Initially the compounded interest is not mentioned and no promise was made on no compounded interest. However, it is now mentioned and is up to the discretion of the commercial banks. (Ref 1st and 2nd attachment)

Initially, the moratorium is said to be automatically given and those who refused can reject it. Now we have to wait for the bank to contact us and we make our choice.

2. In its communique recently, the government failed to tell us that the accrued interest will be imposed. Yes, maybe it’s in the FAQ and technical information but it was not made in simply language. The government should have made a correction from the start to avoid confusion.

In fact, BNM’s early FAQ contains deceiving information too. It said accrued interest will be included but at the same time it also said that loan servicing duration stays. Where is the logic in installment if accrued interest is added on? (3rd attachment)

—-

However, I’m quite cynical with Opposition critics that seemed to enjoy all these. When the moratorium is announced on March 24, I remember that it was the Prime Minister or the Finance Ministry that reported it but through a circular issued by BNM to the Press.

At that time, several PH people commend and crediting BNM as if they had nothing to do with the government (4th attachment). However, they blamed the government 100 per cent when BNM erred.

Well, to me it was not a sincere political game.

Yes, its all about handicap in communications right from the very beginning.

This is also and unusual period. No governments in this world can withstand the pressure. Although I think there should be an economic revival package that supersedes the Prihatin package (I will elaborate on it later on), the government has proven its worth in easing the people’s cash liquidity. Should there be mistakes, just admit it and reach out for them with candor.

Selamat bersahur.

Shahril Hamdan
UMNO Malaysia, Information Chief
Naib Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.