RUMAH TRANSIT UNTUK BELIA MALAYSIA

Panel Pemikir peribadi saya, pada hari ini telah mengangkat satu isu yang amat dekat dengan belia. Seperti yang semua sudah maklum, perumahan belia akan menjadi isu utama bukan sahaja di peringkat Parlimen Belia. Ia juga akan menjadi isu pokok bagi Pilihanraya Umum yang ke-14 kelak.

Kos sara hidup yang meningkat, kadar kenaikan gaji pekerja yang rendah, pembayaran PTPTN yang dikatakan mengganggu gugat aliran wang bulanan dan kekurangan pekerjaan yang bergaji tinggi adalah contoh mengapa belia-belia, khususnya yang baru bergraduan dan berumah tangga menghadapi kesukaran untuk memiliki hartanah pertama.

Panel Pemikir saya berpendapat, pelaksanaan Rumah Transit bagi belia-belia yang baru berkahwin dan berpendapatan rendah harus diperhalusi dan tidak dilaksanakan sambil lewa tanpa mengambil kira impak jangka masa panjang. Perkara seperti gaya hidup dan mentaliti belia-belia khususnya bumiputera harus diberi penekanan kerana rancangan ini akan menghasilkan "adverse effect".

Saya bersetuju dengan mereka, walaupun niat baik Kementerian Perumahan, Kerajaan Tempatan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar harus dipuji. Usaha Rumah Transit ini dilihat sebagai penyelesaikan jangka pendek sahaja. Kerajaan harus memberi perhatian khusus bagi meningkatkan pemahaman belia yang baru berkahwin untuk lebih BIJAK menguruskan kewangan masing-masing.

Konsep Sewa-dan-Keluar ini pada rohnya adalah untuk membantu belia-belia baru berkahwin/bekerja untuk menyewa dan pada masa yang sama mengumpul dana untuk "Down-Payment" pembeliaan hartanah selepas mereka tamat kontrak sewaan dengan Kerajaan. Model ini akan berhasil sekiranya, semua peserta benar-benar mengikut saranan Kerajaan untuk mengumpulkan dana.

Salah seorang Panel Pemikir saya berkongsi pengalaman keluarganya sendiri yang membina beberapan unit rumah seluas 700 psf, 2 bilik dan 1 bilik air, untuk disewakan 10-15 tahun yang lepas dengan kadar sewa bulanan RM 200. Berdasarkan rekod beliau, daripada 8 penyewa, hanya 3 telah memiliki rumah sendiri, 2 masih kekal menyewa dan 3 berpindah/menyewa rumah-rumah lain bagi menampung saiz keluarga yang bertambah.

Data ini amat memeranjatkan. Perbincangan mendalam dibuat, kami menyimpulkan, pihak Kerajaan juga harus mengambil kira mentaliti peserta program rumah transit. Harus diberi pendedahan mengenai pengurusan kewangan yang bijak, bagi mereka benar-benar mengumpul dana. Kita tidak mahu melihat kes tersebut berulang lagi.

Walaupun sistem kontrak sewaan itu jelas menunjukkan mereka harus keluar selepas tamat tempoh, kita tidak harus lupa yang kita insan, pastinya akan ada yang memohon untuk mendapatkan lanjutan sewaan melalui pelbagai cara waimah kaitan politik, kaitan dengan DBKL dan bermacam lagi.

Oleh yang demikian, disebalik sokongan prinsip saya dengan kaedah Rumah Transit ini, saya berharap agensi-agensi yang berkaitan termasuklah pemimpin-pemimpin belia dapat memberi penekanan kepada program Literasi Kewangan bagi membantu belia-belia kita memahami kepentingan pengurusan Kewangan bijak. Mereka dapat menghormati niat baik Kerajaan dengan mengumpulkan dana "Down-Payment" yang diharapkan, serta keluar pada masa yang ditetapkan untuk membantu adik-adik mereka yang bakal keluar bekerja dan berkahwin kelak.

Jangan jadikan ini sebagai "permanent solution", untuk pemilikan hartanah belia, tetapi salah satu alat membantu mengurangkan bebanan kewangan belia. Disiplin dan kesedaran supaya berusaha lebih kuat dan TIDAK mengharapkan bantuan KERAJAAN SEMATA-MATA. Jangan kita didik belia-belia kita khususnya belia BUMPUTERA sebagai belia yang MANJA.

Financial Literacy, Enlightenment and Wisdom

1.      I hope fans of my writing should notice by now that though I read a lot, any genre that catch my eyes and heart, finance is always the top of the list. How a person who has been groomed to be an engineer since the secondary school could change 180 degree to finance?

2.      It is all started in my great years as student leader in UNITEN. I was given the responsibility to steer Persatuan Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya (PRS) UNITEN for a year by the members. At that time, I was shocked and surprised by the election result. Then, I happened to know that my friends from the previous year administration really lobby for me for the top seat.

3.      Well, the journey started. However, I started to have different opinion on how the society should operate. At that time, I realized I have to become better and knowledgeable. I started to read a lot, seek counsel from professional and UNITEN’s management lecturers on how I can improve the operational aspect of PRS UNITEN.

4.      Slowly I instilled Corporate Governance element in the society. I admit, it was not an easy task. Getting the buy-in from my senior management team and also the former leadership of the organization. They had some reservation and concerns that this modernization might change the society into different entity entirely.

5.      Alhamdulillah, although some of my senior management team opposed the idea, but the ordinary members received it very well and they liked it. Using their power as members, they managed to persuade those who oppose the plan and slowly I have to persuade them to buy-in to the concept.

6.      That year, I found out that, the strongest argument one can made to support his idea or opinion is numbers i.e money, projection, cost, revenue and so on. The buy-in process was a success because we started to use these numbers as basis for our programs and demands to the Management of UNITEN. Therefore, I concluded at that time, these financial number/metrics really powerful. It will help somehow, leaders to be focused and being objective

7.      Another reason my re-direction is I don’t like myself to be not knowing on something. When I read newspapers, magazine related to leadership, business and even the public sector, these financial metrics and numbers keep popping up. Look at the back of business section of any newspaper, tables and numbers of closing share prices for investor’s references. I felt uneasy and unrest. I don’t like myself in the state of ignorance. I know these number are important. Therefore I must do something.

8.      So, I enrolled into MBA program after I spent a year and half as Officer in Arkib Negara Malaysia. I decided to do it part-time, whereby I attend evening classes after working hours for 20 months. I love everything about UNIRAZAK and MBA, particularly Corporate Finance. Finally, I found my niche, my talent, my passion and my forte. I know this course will bring me to greatness, In Shaa Allah.

9.      Now, I have my sight for Public Finance. I believe Public Finance knowledge is essential for all Malaysian, especially the Youth. Alhamdulillah, my professor and my mentor at Treasury always provide me with notes, advices and support for me to be a Public Finance literate. Terms like GDP, National Debt, Sovereign Ratings, Revenue, Expenditure (Operational & Development) Budget, Budget Process, Tax (Direct & Indirect), Fiscal Policy, Fiscal Consolidation and so on are currently on the top of my reading lists.

10.   I wish, I could be a better citizen and share my opinions and knowledge for the betterment of Malaysian, especially the Youth. I would like to advocate more Youth to become financial literate, so that they will in a better position to manage their financial and subsequently they will help, indirectly to make our Nation better. I hope I can help them in understanding all this financial stuffs so that they can achieve ENLIGHTENMENT and WISER in their decision making, including to vote who is going to become the Government in the next general election.