MELAKA, Nov 3 -- The Melaka Youth Coalition Council (MGBM) hopes that the government will create more employment opportunities for youths who lost their jobs following the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, through 2021 Budget, which is to be tabled on Friday.

MGBM president Mohd Ridhwan Mohd Ali said job opportunities could help those who had lost their jobs to be independent and reduce dependence on government aid in the long term.

‘’The proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country involves a long period of time and today many youths have lost their jobs which impact on their lives.

‘’In Melaka, among the sectors which are badly affected is the tourism sector because it only depended on the domestic sector. But the response is very low as there are areas which are involved with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) while some feel it is safer to stay home,’’ he told Bernama, here, today.

Commenting further, he also urged the government to implement more training programme such as under the National Economic Regeneration Plan (PENJANA) to give training and skill especially to youths who were reemployed in new fields.

In addition, he hoped the government could focus on invigorating the plantation and agriculture sectors involving youths to simultaneously reduce dependence on imports of food supplies.

Meanwhile, the Melaka Malay Hawkers and Petty Traders Association wanted the government to consider an allocation in the form of an easy loan or equipment for target groups especially hawkers and petty traders who were among those badly affected by COVID-19.

Its secretary, Alias Ahmad hoped, in addition, the giving of targeted moratoriums including to hawkers and B40 petty traders should also be continued to ease their burden as their incomes were affected.

‘’The moratorium cannot be given comprehensively because we know it will have a major impact on our national economy. But we hope it can be continued for the target groups and references could be done with the association which is registered under the Registrar of Societies of Malaysia,’’ he said.

In the meantime, Malaysian Nature Society president, Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail said Melaka needed a special allocation to implement effort to conserve natural areas for education and eco-tourism.

He said the special allocation especially involving Tanjung Tuan, Alor Gajah and several beaches in the state which were experiencing erosion.

‘’Tanjung Tuan is among the locations of tourism focus especially during the migration of predatory birds across the Straits Of Melaka to return to the northern atmosphere while the coastal areas like Pengkalan Balak is the landing areas of hawkbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

‘’As such, the areas must be conserved and protected to avoid hindering the migrations and landings of the species,’’ he said.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz is scheduled to table the 2021 Budget in Dewan Rakyat this Friday.

-- BERNAMA