In conjunction with the upcoming Raya, the Prime Minister announced a few good news yesterday (April 18), including the extra holiday, which is undoubtedly a piece of great news for those who can take another day off.
However, many employers may not be a fan of the extra holiday, including Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, the founder of MYDIN hypermarket. In an interview with Astro Awani, Ameer Ali said the traders will be the ones to bear the losses.
With only 1 day of the extra holiday, how high can the losses be? The amount might be higher than what you have in mind.
Ameer Ali estimated that his company will have the bear the losses of at least RM500,000. That’s half a million ringgit!
With that amount of money, a lot can be done, and Ameer Ali said that he could’ve given thousands towards the Menu Rahmah alone. MYDIN was among the first organisations that took part in the Menu Rahmah program, the initiative introduced by the government in an effort to help low-income groups.
The extra holiday was not the only good news that the PM had for Malaysians. Starting today (April 19), toll exemptions will be available for everyone for 4 days. Ameer Ali, however, has a better idea of how the PM should’ve handled toll exemptions.
“It would be better to provide targeted subsidies in the form of cash for those in need.”
He said that the toll subsidies for everyone without considering their income level is not a good idea because “not everyone needs toll subsidies”. He also pointed out the possibilities of the government’s sudden shift into populism.
“The government should not be a populist.”
You can listen to what Ameer Ali said below.
Pengarah Urusan Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd., Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin berkata pengumuman cuti khas oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim di saat akhir telah menyebabkan banyak perniagaan menanggung kerugian. #AWANInews #AgendaAWANI pic.twitter.com/pNSqmogiQb
— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) April 18, 2023
The extra holiday will be observed on either April 21 or 24, depending on when the first day of Raya falls.
Most of the time, we say yes to last-minute holidays, despite the consequences that we tend to overlook. In this case, do you agree with Ameer Ali’s point of view in terms of the consequences of the extra holiday that was announced last minute?
Also read: M’sian With a Wife & 7 Kids Eats Menu Rahmah Every Day & Spends RM3K a Month, Netizens Baffled
