JANUARY 11 — After a horrible 2020, I started off 2021 on a positive note. Just last week, I received notification from EPF that my application to withdraw my savings under the i-Sinar scheme has been approved.
I am hugely relieved by the good news. With schools starting soon and my bills piling up ever since I was retrenched in August 2020 due to the pandemic, the tiny amount which has been (and will continue to be) credited into my bank account can help tide me over.
I am also pleasantly surprised by the ease in applying for the withdrawal. Honestly, I had my reservations at first given by previous horrid experiences dealing with certain government departments.
But when I went to the EPF kiosk in KL to apply for the i-Akaun, I was assisted by very helpful staff. The queue was short and the friendly staff were most patient and sorted out the application in less than a minute, which was most helpful given the Covid-19 pandemic.
After having obtained a valid i-Akaun, the application for withdrawal under the i-SInar scheme was also relatively easy. The user interface on the app was rather intuitive and there were helpful notes to ease the application process. The whole process was done in a jiffy.
I am thoroughly glad that EPF stuck to its promise of announcing the status of contributors’ application in early January. For many of us unable to find jobs after having been retrenched (for me, without any severance package) but need to put food on the table, the money can go a long way. I am thoroughly grateful to the government for allowing contributors to dip into their EPF savings during these extraordinary times. Well done!
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
