00:00 On the wage progressive policy, yesterday was discussed after MPAN principally approved
00:07 the model that you proposed. So what kind of allocation are we looking at?
00:15 Wait for the budget.
00:17 So it will be in the budget?
00:19 Most probably it will be in the budget. The policy has been approved in terms of the principle and the approach.
00:31 Then we have to go through a series of processes, including bringing it down to all the stakeholders.
00:40 We also have to see at what level do we want to come in. When I say level, I mean at what coverage,
00:52 at what specific groups, and that obviously will translate into what kind of financial commitment
01:00 the government has to make. But the Prime Minister gave an indication of some numbers, but we'll go through the budget process.
01:10 So most probably there will be an indication in the 2021 budget due to be announced in October.
01:19 But the implementation targets for the first rollout sometime in April or May. So that means that the financial allocation
01:33 has to be made for 2024, which is why I think the announcement will be included in the budget.
01:45 [inaudible]
01:56 The budget is actually a lot of adjustments to the six countries. We have three categories,
02:09 if I don't know which economy to use. Nine is actually not correct. There are three different categories.
02:21 I think you have to see the three categories on a case-by-case basis. One is the ones that have been given priority,
02:29 which are Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis. These six countries have been given priority
02:43 in terms of the allocation of development for the past year. So they get 50% of the national allocation for the last few years.
02:54 So that's one category. Another category is the countries that have their own economic growth and development
03:06 without much of a cut from the government. Those are the Philippines, the Selangor and the Perlis.
03:19 Then we have four countries in the middle. We have Peru, Johor, the nine countries and Malacca.
03:32 The allocation is actually the lowest among the nine countries, especially the nine countries, Malacca and Peru.
03:43 They are not rich but they are not that poor. So they don't get a lot.
03:50 So that's actually a challenge and some changes that we have to make because we have to be fair to countries like Peru,
04:03 the nine countries and Malacca, other than giving priority to the countries that have been given priority before.
04:14 That's what we have to differentiate.
04:17 Thank you.
04:19 [end]
Comments